How to Train Your Dragon: Hiccup and the Vagabond
by Dustnblood
Summary: Ukiah was the last of his tribe, and was essentially alone all his life. But, as he develops a unique friendship with an unlikely friend, he finds himself fighting not only for himself, but also for his newly adopted family. The Berkians. While living with Hiccup and others, he learns more and more of his tribe's past, and ultimately why he's being hunted by a vengeful chief.
1. Chapter 1

**Oh boy. Another story?! Well, to be perfectly clear, this story is finished! From end to end. So it's a matter of me posting it, which I plan on posting three chapters every day, until it's done.**

 **This is a story that is a remake of my first fanfiction I ever wrote. HTTYD: The Second Night Fury. My first ever OC was created in that story, and I felt bad I never used him again. After re-reading his story, I kind of threw up in my mouth. It had a lot of plot holes, bad grammar, and ultimately; bad motives and reasoning's. But, it wasn't a bad story, because it was my first story I ever wrote. I learned so much from just writing it.**

 **So, I did a remastered version of it. The original story was written almost immediately after I watched the first How to Train Your Dragon, back at the turn of the year 2012. So the events take place immediately after the first movie, and before the first season of the Dragon's show.**

 **Though this is a technically a remaster, I did change quite a few things. If you want, you can read the two and compare them. Almost all the scenes are changed or modified, with the original intentions of the story remaining; just to flow better story wise. I have to say, I really like this one. It may actually be my favorite story I've ever written; including the Dragon Boarder series. It was a great way to see how much better I've become in regards to writing.**

 **Thank you for your support, follows, favorites, reviews, pms, and whatever else you've done since I've started writing. I greatly appreciate it, and also look forward to it. So, without further ado, please enjoy!**

 **P.S. Shout out to Anvil of Writing, for the feedback and thoughts on a few issues. Please support this writer, as he's been immense help to me in not only this story, but also my others.**

* * *

 ** _Chapter One_**

CRACK! The thunder roared once again. The wind and the rain could barely be heard over the creaking and the straining of the ship, as it moved against the waves beating on all the sides. Hiccup was wondering why in the world he was on the ship. Sure it sounded fun as first, but after the first half day on the sea, he was already sea-sick and dreading the fact that he still had a few weeks left on the water.

BOOM! Another sound of thunder clapped, slightly startling him.

Sighing, he muttered to himself "At least we haven't drowned…mostly." Honestly the storm wasn't all that bad, it was more so just a threatening one that sounded worse than it really was. At least that's what his dad told him.

Looking over his hammock, Hiccup saw his dad, Stoick the Vast, sleeping in an oversized hammock that Hiccup was sure he would get lost in. The entire reason for them to even take this God's forsaken trip was to establish a trade route with another tribe. The village of Thariin, whose chief was named Strogg the Stone. Thariin was a very prosperous village; being on the shore of a mainland rather than an island. Its location soon made it a hub for all villages and traders from around the sea and beyond!

With peace between the dragons and the Vikings, Berk began to be very prosperous just by themselves with herds and crops. At that moment, Stoick decided that it was time to try and establish a trade route with the prominent village, hopefully leading to more trading with the other villages and islands.

And now, after three weeks of miserable sailing, Thariin was only a couple of days away. With a strong, constant breeze pushing the ship, it would probably be a little less than that. Unfortunately, the sudden storm slowed their progress, which would probably tack an extra day to the trip.

Trying to relax and force sleep to come, his mind then wandered into thoughts of home and his friends. This only made trying to sleep worse.

He started to think of Toothless, his dragon who he befriended, who was the cause for all the happiness that was in his life at that point. Without Toothless, he was nothing and had nothing. Just an apprentice blacksmith. However, both he and Toothless had become heroes for both of their worlds. Together they ended up defeating the Red Death Dragon, which almost killed both of them in the end. Hiccup and Toothless were known as heroes after that act, and would probably be recognized that for the rest of their lives.

Hiccup shook his head slightly, realizing that it was only a few months ago since that happened. It was incredible that since that time, he only learned to appreciate Toothless even more so. Oh how he loved Toothless; because he was the reason why he had a father accepted who he was, friends who would do anything for him, and a special person in his life who was always spending time with him, flying with him, and then spending more time with him. Astrid.

Wow! Just the thought of her swept him off his feet! Which was good that he already lying in a hammock. She was allowed to come on the trip with Hiccup and Stoick; well, more so forced everyone to let her come. She told her parents to let her go, because she was going no matter what they said. She explained that she wanted to see what life was like on other islands, and this was a perfect opportunity for her to do so.

"More like she wanted to be with me!" Hiccup thought a little smugly. He crossed his legs and put his hands behind his head, relishing in this truth; which ended up throwing him off balance and tossing him off of his hammock and onto the wet floor of the ship.

"Great…" He thought as he scrambled up to get off the soaking wood. He looked around and was relieved that no one woke up when he fell. "Sitting here isn't really helping me fall asleep, maybe a quick walk up on deck will help." He muttered gloomily to himself.

Stepping outside of the cabin of the ship, he began to walk around the deck; or stagger around the deck, as the waves pounded on the ship relentlessly. The actual walking on the deck surprised him because it was a lot harder than he had predicted. He was still getting used to his new leg; the war wound he inherited after the Battle of the Red Death.

Looking around, it didn't take him long to know he was alone with the deck to himself. Unfortunately, Astrid was asleep and Toothless couldn't come. Stoick didn't want Toothless scaring the other tribe, as this agreement needed to go as smoothly as possible. Plus, other Viking tribes weren't so ready to accept the dragons as pets and might take lethal action towards Toothless.

So Hiccup had no choice but to leave his friend, which almost broke his heart seeing Toothless devastated when he learned that he couldn't come. Hiccup hated that he disappointed Toothless, and he also hated that he couldn't fly to get off the ship that seemed to be shrinking in size every passing day. In fact, he hated that he couldn't fly at all! He was worried that he would be rusty when he got back. It was a gift that he still truly cherished; being able to fly with a dragon. Something that was only dreamed about, it was now a way of life; and he was the one that bridged that gap. Well, he and Toothless bridged it together.

Splash! A wave raised over the side of the ship and nailed him. Coughing, Hiccup stumbled and then fell flat on his back. "Ugh! This leg is still something else to get used to…" He groaned, sitting up and inspecting the metal hook for a leg. Grunting, he then forced himself up and took a few more deep breaths of the salty air. Getting his fill of fresh air, he then decided to go back and continue to try to get some sleep, even though his thoughts were still heavily on Toothless and flying.

Realizing thinking about Toothless wasn't helping him relax, he began to think about the destination ahead, Thariin. He didn't know much about it, other than what his dad told him. It was big, with lots of people there. Stoick told him that it was as if ten Berks were together. He couldn't even fathom the thought of that many people living together.

Suddenly, a splash sounded off to his right. Whipping around to face the direction, he briskly walked to the side of the ship. Looking into the black ocean, he peered to see anything out of the ordinary. Then, just as he was about to head back inside, a dragon leapt out of the black void right at him!

"Waagghh!" He shouted, falling on his back.

The dragon landed on the railing, balancing itself on it. Its green eyes stared into Hiccups, as it growled angrily at him.

Hiccup scooted back, putting a little distance between him and the new dragon. It was unlike any he's seen before! It had razor sharp looking teeth, and was about the same size as Toothless; shoot, if it wasn't for the spikes along the wings and down it's body, he would have guessed it to be Toothless! On four legs like his friend, he also had a similar looking tail; except for the end of it, which hardly had any fins at all. What fins were there, looked like an arrowhead. He couldn't tell what color it was, as it was dark; but he had to guess that it was a dark color, maybe even black! The dragon snorted, eyeing Hiccup dangerously.

"He-hey boy!" Hiccup stammered, extending his hand out "Easy there…I'm not going to hurt you…"

Suddenly a rogue wave smashed into the boat, causing it shift violently to the side. The dragon lost its balance on the rail, falling forward onto the deck. Hiccup was startled as it roared loudly, as if in pain. He watched it hobble onto its feet, doing so very carefully and tenderly. Breathing out a huff of anger and pain, the dragon spread its wings and gently flew into the air.

Hiccup scrambled to his feet, running to the rail to watch the mystery dragon disappear into the night. Wondering what in the God's name happened, he turned and sprinted to the cabin. For all he knew, he may have seen a new kind of dragon! Bolting inside, he ran to get his dad to tell him what just happened.

* * *

A small journey away, in the land of Thariin, specifically a place called Fallis Woods; the thunder also rolled in the black sky, and over the dark, infinite waves of the sea. Only from the lightning could one tell that you were in a cave looking out of a cliff. In the cave was lone person, staring out at awe inspiring event. Ukiah was all but tired, with the amazingly powerful storm just outside his humble cave.

Ukiah was 17 years old with midnight black hair, long enough for him to have it in a very small pony tail with a small braid in it. His slender build was enough to show that he was strong, just not big. His body was worn with exposure to all the seasons' elements; both summer and winter months. His hazel eyes seemed to capture even the smallest hint of light, giving him a youthful expression.

CRACK! Another earth shattering thunder clap sounded outside of the cave. Ukiah always loved storms, especially at night. For two reasons though, he loved the sight of the unlimited power from the sky attacking the unconquerable sea; and secondly, a storm usually meant a good hunt the following day.

The thought of a hunt tomorrow made him laugh inside. He had meant to take it easy tomorrow, maybe even sleep in. With food stocked up to last him a good week of feasting; and a load of pelts, furs, leather, even some jerky ready to be traded; he had planned on taking a "vacation" from hunting and fishing, in order to prepare for the trip to the village of Thariin, twenty miles south.

However, this storm would give him a chance to potentially get some more pelts to sell for money, rather than trading for tools and other needed equipment to live alone in the forest. He could potentially get a new quiver for his arrows as he looked over at his torn, almost destroyed with use, homemade quiver. Maybe even a new spearhead! Or, God's permit, an actual pillow for his head.

Staring out of the cave, he guessed that he still had 4 hours before he would set out for the trek.

BOOM! Another flash of lightning went off, almost immediately followed by the drum-like thunder. Ukiah rolled over from where he was laying and lit a small candle to his side. As the candle took flame, his collections of weapons appeared almost magically from the darkness; a steel dagger, his hunting spear, and crossbow.

He unsheathed the dagger and looked at it through the candle light. The flame of the candle of seemed to dance on the dagger's sharpened, polished blade. Smiling, he sheathed the dagger and picked up his hunting spear. Moving his hand up and down the handle, the smoothness of the wood caused his hand almost glide over it; until he rubbed the tightly bound leather around the middle. The metal tip at the end was so perfectly crafted, he could balance the entire thing with his pinky. He set the spear down and picked up his most prized weapon and possession; his crossbow. Already loaded and ready to take the life of the next prey, or predator; it was a weapon that could always be depended on.

"Sleep well…" He whispered "We're going to be busy tomorrow." As he finished saying those words, he realized that he was the one that was going to need the sleep more than the crossbow. Carefully placing the crossbow back to its resting spot and blowing out the small candle he had lit, he leaned against the cave wall he was resting against.

Staring out into the vast darkness, broken up by the lightning spontaneously striking at the water, he studied the rock pinnacles that stood out of the water in open defiance against the merciless waves and torrential storm. He stared off at them until sleep started to overcome him. Forced trained, he kept one eye open, almost lifelessly scanning the opening of the cave. Had he not done this, he would have missed an object that slowly and silently landed on one of the pinnacles facing the mouth of his cave. Surprised by the unexpected visitor, he silently sat up and squinted at the peak of the rock.

Whatever it was that landed there, it almost turned invisible! It blended so well with the background and actual rock, that Ukiah was struggling to make anything out at all, even with his hunter trained eye!

He knew just by the size of what he did see, that it was a dragon. Dragons weren't really uncommon for Ukiah, though he usually steered clear from them whenever he did find one. However, this one was different. He couldn't tell what kind it was. It definitely wasn't a Hideous Zippleback, as he didn't see two heads. Couldn't have been a Monstrous Nightmare, they hate rain due to the fact that they can't light themselves on fire; besides that, it wasn't that big. It was most definitely not a Gronckle, wasn't round enough and he actually saw the wings.

"What was that?" he whispered to himself, knowing that no one was around to answer. "I guess it could have been a Deadly Nadder, the size was about right. Also the wing span looked like it as well." However, one thing bugged him. He didn't see the two massive legs stick out. It almost looked like a sleek…arrow. "I wonder what it is." He whispered, knowing something was there. All thoughts of hunting and sleeping were gone now. "Whatever landed on that pinnacle, its' gotta still be there. I didn't see it leave at least…" He thought. Slowly drawing his crossbow to him, he brandished his weapon to be ready for anything that might come in.

Suddenly lightning flashed and what Ukiah saw, shocked his core. It was a dragon unlike any he had seen before! It was sleek, on four legs, and wasn't that big to begin with. Though he couldn't see color due to the darkness, he could see the wings had spikes on them. It looked like…death.

Ukiah's blood froze inside of him at the thought. Was…was this a Night Fury? A terror and a supposed representative of death itself? He had heard of a massive dragon, rumored to be called the Red Death, was defeated by a Night Fury and a great Viking warrior named Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III. The rumors he heard was that Hiccup rode on the back of it, after beating it into submission. After destroying the Dragon Queen, the tale said that Hiccup then destroyed the dragon nest, killing all the dragons that didn't escape; including the Night Fury he used. But this, this creature outside of his cave, was no tale like Hiccup's. There was a Night Fury in the flesh, and it was outside of his cave! It was sleek, almost stealthy like, which Ukiah understood to be the key to any successful hunt; or kill.

Then he saw the silhouette of the dragon spread its wings to take off, which it flew over his cave slowly, as if not in a hurry at all. Quietly, but as quickly as was possible, he ran to the entrance of the cave and looked to where it could have gone. He judged that it flew right into the woods behind his cave. In all of his hunts, he never set out for a dragon. "Let the dragon slayers do that." He always told himself whenever he saw a dragon in his woods. But none were a rare Night Fury; and if it was a Night Fury, it flew into the very woods that Ukiah knew better than most animals that lived in it. "If I can take it down, I could be a hero just like Hiccup…" He thought excitedly "Maybe I can get a reward for killing it! Heh, what am I doing here? I've got to get moving!"

Ukiah didn't really go on night hunts very often; but there were a few exceptions, such as this. Walking back into the cave, he re-lit his small candle.

Grabbing his gear he had all situated, he started to strap on his leather hunting vest which had definitely seen better days. The leather was cracking after years of use, and a few straps were snapped off. He started wrapping his forearms with long leather strips; weaving them over and under his hand and up his forearm. These were his makeshift gauntlets he crafted for himself. Though shrewdly made, they were as durable as any others; and they were simpler to replace if lost or damaged. Both of them were coated in dry blood from all the animals he skinned and cleaned, keeping them in better shape than his vest.

After securing the gauntlet like leather strips, he attached his dagger on a small strap over his heart. Making sure that the dagger itself was secure and wouldn't fall out, he moved onto the spear. His vest had a special strap attached to the back, which his spear slid smoothly inside. Letting it rest on his back, he then reached for his raggedy quiver of bolts, which he strapped to his belt and let it hang on his hip tightly.

Before grabbing his crossbow, he stuck his hand in a bucket of water and then into the ash filled fire pit. Rubbing the watery paste on his fingers, he then ran it down his face at a diagonal from high left to low right. It was a traditional war paint style that his guardian had taught him before he went out to hunt. He had always done this regardless of what he was hunting, though he didn't really know the importance of it. All he knew about it, was that it was essentially his history. Even that, however, he didn't know very well.

Grabbing and not needing to check his crossbow, he blew out what was left of the candle and made his way through the dark forest, in the middle of a storm. "No longer will I be known as a hunter or loner." He thought to himself, ignoring the rain that pelted him "I'll be known as the only person in Thariin to best a Night Fury!"


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter Two**_

About three hours into the hunt, the storm was starting to recede a little bit. It was still raining, but at least the wind had died down, along with the lightning and thunder. Signs of the sun rising were starting appear as well. Ukiah would pause every few steps to listen for anything that would give its own position away. He's been at this for hours and hasn't even found as much of a sign that the Night Fury was even in the forest. Or any dragon for that matter.

"By this time it could be half way around the world!" He thought angrily to himself. He knew he was being idiotic and rash for even thinking about hunting a dragon, especially the one that no one's ever seen. Shaking his head angrily at himself, he then stopped as soon as he remembered that he was still on the hunt. Even though the dragon might be gone from the Fallis Woods, he knew the game hadn't gone anywhere.

Switching his attention from the dragon to the game, he began searching for animals that would make him a profit, rather than a trade. Fox pelts sold quite well if they were in decent shape, and in a beautiful color. Leather apparel sold well also, but he didn't have the time, nor the aptitude to even consider making belts, boots, gloves, and bands; well, minus a little project he was working on. He just wanted at least one good fox pelt.

An hour went by, and the sun was just peaking a little bit over the hills and trees. Ukiah found himself accomplishing his goal. Having found one fox that was holed up trying to take cover from the rain, he made quick work killing and skinning it. "Heh, this will make some quick gold…" He quietly muttered, smiling while holding the red pelt to carefully observe it. With this, maybe he could get a new quiver! At least tools for him to make a new one."

Rolling the pelt up and tying it to his vest with one of the few remaining straps dangling from it, he then began to make his way back to his cave. Thinking of the huge waste of time he spent trying to track an animal that can fly, and frankly never shows itself, his body sent him a message that he was starving. Mainly due to the activities in the past few hours, and not having eaten anything before heading out. Shaking his head, he sped up to get to his cave.

Just as he was arriving, he looked down the cliff and scanned the shoreline a quarter mile away. With the humidity from the storm, and the heat from the ever rising sun, a thick fog began to rise from the sea and sandy shore. Ukiah loved fog, as it seemed to calm him and make him think for some reason. He guessed that it was just because of the sense that he got from it, almost making the area mystical. Smiling, he walked into the cave and set his crossbow down, reaching to grab a large bag of jerky. Strapping it to his vest, he then grabbed another small sack, this one full of berries. With a day like today, he decided to take his meal to the beach.

Just before he left his cave a second time, he then gently reached for a leather headband. It was the project he was working on for a couple of days, and sitting on the beach would be a perfect time for him to work on it.

The thought of sitting on the beach seemed to visibly relax him. It wasn't very often he got to sit and do nothing. The warming morning, the fog rolling off the ocean, and the ability to not worry about food seemed to amplify a majestic feeling in the air. It was times like this that he let himself think about his past, not that he knew that much about it to begin with. It was mainly him contemplating the 'what if's?' of his life; such as who he really was, or who his parents were. All he knew for certain, was that he was a Crevite, from the island of Crev. His guardian told him that, for the short amount of time he had her in his life. Shaking his head out of frustration on the subject, usually because of what it entailed, he continued on his own path towards his destination. With the sun rising, the grey mist turned into a blazing orange.

The trek down was a little steep, as it was a path that he forged himself. Though not directly off the cliff face, it zigzagged down, which turned it into a small hike. Inspecting the headband as he walked, he looked at the carvings he was working on. The headband was littered with small etches of Swallow birds, each one in a unique pose. It took him forever to get where he wanted with it, wasted two perfectly good headbands practicing.

Arriving at the beach, the fog was beginning to dissipate. Picking a large rock to sit on, he promptly sat down and pulled out a handful of his berries; inspecting the head band in more detail. Seeing one bird with an unfinished tail, he drew his dagger and began to etch at it carefully; performing small and simple strokes. He didn't know why he was spending so much time on this particular leather apparel. He usually just did a simple etch here and there, and then called it good.

"Guess this one seemed a little special to me…" He whispered to himself, answering the question in his head. Finishing the tail, he extended his arm out to inspect the Swallow. Not completely satisfied with it, he dug into his jerky bag and pulled out a handful. Putting a couple pieces in his mouth, a few fell out of the bag. "Ugh, great…" He growled, chewing the jerky as he kneeled down to pick up the few pieces. Just as he was doing so, the sand suddenly erupted from under him! The rock he was sitting on was shifted over as a torrential storm of sand whirled around him, throwing him onto the ground.

Rolling onto his back, he stared in horror at a dragon that had inhaled the pieces of jerky that he dropped. The dragon had buried itself in the sand, and he had no idea he was camped right over it! It was dark brown with black stripes running along its wings and spikes. It had to be the same dragon he saw last night! On four legs, still sleek looking, minus the spikes along the back; and for a dragon, it wasn't that big. But seeing it in the daylight, he could see rows of razor sharp teeth.

"Is this…a Night Fury?" Ukiah whispered, his blood freezing. He swore his heart stopped a few times.

The dragon hissed at Ukiah, making its teeth even more visible. It began to circle around him, though tenderly and slowly; like it was hurting. Finally getting his composure back, Ukiah propped himself up on his elbows. Staring at the angry dragon, he then got an idea. Slowly, he reached for his pouch of jerky. Unstrapping it from his vest, he then held it out for the dragon to see.

Almost immediately, the dragon stopped growling. Eyeing the jerky hungrily, it just waited to see what Ukiah would do. Seeing that the jerky pulled the dragons attention away from him, he whispered "All yours friend." At that he tossed it away from him. The dragon then hurriedly chased the bag, picking up the pieces of jerky that spilled out around it.

Ukiah promptly rolled to his feet. Grabbing the dagger that fell on the beach, he sprinted away from the dragon, who was busy trying to claw out the jerky from the bag. Getting to the pathway that led to his cave, he turned to see the dragon still working on getting the jerky out. That's when he noticed something that he never saw before. A single arrow was protruding from the side of the dragon. Staring at it with confusion, he finally realized why the dragon wasn't chasing him; and walking tenderly. It literally had a pain in its side. That would explain why it was more interested in his food; it couldn't hunt!

Torn, Ukiah wanted to run to get away from the near death experience he had; but he hated seeing an animal suffer. Yeah, he was a hunter, who had no problem killing his prey; but he never once toyed with his kills. He always made his killing blows both fast and painless as possible. This dragon might be able to make it another few weeks, maybe a couple of months; but it wouldn't be able survive longer than that while being hurt like that.

Sighing, he knew what he was going to do; he just didn't like it. All thoughts of him hunting and killing the dragon were gone. It was injured, and barely even able to travel on its own; let alone fend for itself. It wouldn't be a hunt, but a slaughter. Standing there, he waited for the dragon to notice him. Watching it, he studied its features. The dragon, while standing on all fours, came a little higher than his waist. It had large, piercing green eyes; adding to the sharp look it had with its spikes. Watching it enjoy the small meal of dried meat, he whispered quietly "How long has it been since you've eaten?"

The dragon finished clawing out the last piece of jerky from the burlap bag. Scooping it up with his tongue, the dragon quickly swallowed it. Ukiah could have sworn that it smiled, with small amounts of sand dripping from the corners of its mouth. Tenderly, the dragon turned and saw Ukiah watching it. Growling, the dragon narrowed his eyes at him.

"Easy…take it easy, friend." Ukiah whispered, extending his left hand out. His right held onto the dagger, just in case.

The dragon snarled at him, baring its teeth even more so. Ukiah froze, not really knowing what to do. If he moved closer, the dragon became more agitated. Staring at the dragon, he noticed the dragon transfixed by something. Following its eyes, he quickly found out that it was staring at his dagger. Swallowing, knowing what he was going to have to do, he dropped the dagger in the sand. Its blade stuck into the ground. Knowing that the dragon wouldn't like him approaching with his quiver full of bolts, he unstrapped it as well. Dropping it in the sand as well, he then raised his hands up and open.

"That better?" He asked, seeing the dragon stop growling. Inching his way towards the dragon, he then whispered "I see you've got an arrow in your side…if you let me, I'll get it out for you."

The dragon stared at Ukiah, realizing that he was actually trying to help it. Glancing nervously between the arrow sticking out, and the approaching hunter; the dragon slowly turned its side to face him. Laying down on the beach, it continued to watch Ukiah as he got closer.

Amazed that the dragon actually understood him, Ukiah dropped down onto his knees and began to observe the wound a little better. The arrow had to have been there for a little while, as dried blood had stained the dragon's scales. Three or four day's maybe? Amazingly, it wasn't infected; given that he just learned that this dragon likes to hide in the sand.

"Looks a little nasty." Ukiah whispered, gently gripping the shaft. Lightly tugging on it, he could tell the muscles had clamped around the arrowhead tightly. There was no way to get it out. Gently at least. Glancing nervously between the arrow and dragon, who was watching him warily, he then said aloud "Hold still. It's gonna hurt."

The dragon growled, glaring at Ukiah but made no motion to stop him.

Taking the growl as an acknowledgement, Ukiah again gripped the shaft a second time. Taking a deep breath, he counted out loud so he wouldn't surprise the dragon. "One…two…three!"

He jerked the arrow as hard as he could, leaning backwards to add to the force. The arrow pulled out, but also took a little bit of flesh with it. The dragon roared in pain, quivering as the shock factor ran through its body.

Ukiah landed on his butt, staring at the dragon and expecting it to turn on him. Watching with a terrified expression, he waited to see what it would do. Amazingly, the dragon did nothing, but lay there. Its eyes were closed in pain, but it made no effort to chase him.

Breathing a sigh of relief, he slowly rolled to his feet. Walking over to where he dropped his dagger and quiver, he then said aloud "There. You should be feeling better within few hours. You'll still be a little tender, but at least you'll be healing." Picking up the quiver and dusting the sand off of it, he added "Glad you didn't try killing me after."

The dragon finally stopped shaking. Taking deep breaths as if to help it relax itself, it then opened its eyes and looked at Ukiah; who at this point had his dagger sheathed.

"Cheers, friend." Ukiah commented, doing a mock bow to the dragon "Try not to get shot again. I don't know how I'll feel about pulling another arrow out of you." With that, he turned around and began to walk up the path. Observing the arrow, he saw that it was a shrewdly crafted one. It wasn't a metal arrowhead, but made of a chiseled dragon tooth. "Crafty." He whispered, admiring the craftsmanship. That was something he wouldn't have thought of using.

Arriving at the cave, he let out a long sigh as he dropped his quiver on the ground. For a day that was supposed to be relaxing for him, he felt like he just finished hunting the entire day.

"Heh, a hunt actually sounds relaxing…" He groaned wearily, kneeling down and grabbing an armful of wood from within the cave. Stacking it in his designated fire pit, he then made his way to grab some salted venison he kept in the back of his shrewd home. By the time he returned with two massive slabs of venison, he was shocked to see a fire roaring in place of the wood he stacked. "What the…" He mumbled, staring at it blankly. Setting the meat on a skillet, he cautiously walked out of the cave. Seeing nothing near the entrance, he was about to turn around when he noticed a small stream of sand falling to his left. Looking up, he gasped as he stared up into green, jaded eyes. The dragon was sitting atop his cave!

Unable to say anything at first, Ukiah just stared into the dragon's eyes. They were different. Almost…playful, or quizzical. Lost in the dragon's stare, he then noticed something that also caused him to wonder. Hanging on one of its spikes along the right wing, was the headband he was working on. He completely forgot about it!

Knowing that the dragon would have ended him back at the beach, Ukiah slowly began to nod in understanding. "Come on then. Better make sure that wound doesn't get infected. Besides, I'm sure you're still starving."

The dragon slowly walked down the side of the cave, still acting a little tender, though a lot better than when the arrow was still in it. Ukiah was already in the cave, setting the skillet over the fire. Looking over at the entrance, he watched the dragon walk in. Taking it's time, it then laid down next to the fire, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Heh, you sound like you've had my kind of day." Ukiah whispered with a jesting in his voice. Sitting down on a rock he used for his seat, he was surprised to see the dragon's wing swing in front of him, with the headband hanging in front of him. Gently taking it, he watched the dragon silently fold his wing back.

The two sat in silence as Ukiah cooked the meat, though he did run back to his food storage to grab a raw trout for the dragon. While the dragon tore into the fish with its razor like teeth, Ukiah cut a piece of the venison, testing to see if it was cooked enough. Letting the hot piece of meat simmer in his mouth, he stared at the dragon with fascination. Less than a few hours ago, he set out to go kill a Night Fury; now, here he was tending to a wounded dragon. He didn't know if it was a Night Fury, but who knew to tell him it wasn't?

Letting the meat cook a little longer, he stood up and slowly walked over to the dragon. "Alright then friend, let's see what we can do to help your wound heal a little faster…"

The dragon let Ukiah inspect his wound, not making any sounds or threatening motions towards him.

Getting on his knees, Ukiah tenderly wiped some of the fresh blood that had come out since the arrow was removed. "Doesn't look too bad." He began to say, doing his best to clean it "So dragon, since you've made yourself comfortable in my home, mind telling me if you have a name?"

* * *

Three days passed for Ukiah, and they were the fastest three days he ever experienced. Not only being exposed to a creature that was supposed to be treated as a feared and merciless killer, but he learned that dragons tended to have similar emotions to a person. Happiness, sadness, anger, even being methodical. Arrow showed him all those emotions.

Ukiah chose to name the dragon Arrow for two reasons actually. First reason being obvious, as he pulled one out of the dragon. Second was because the dragon looked like one. From the side, the spikes along the wing and back made him look like a barbed arrowhead. His tail fins also made it look like one. Besides that, the dragon didn't seem to mind being called that.

Ukiah stared at the dragon laying on the other side of the fire. Night had set, and now he was simply waiting for sleep to overcome him. Arrow was busy eating a pile of fish he gathered earlier that day. Since Ukiah depleted most of his food storage to feed the two, and being unable to go hunt as he was taking care of the wounded dragon most of the time; the dragon decided to help him out as he was feeling stronger and healthier; thanks to Ukiah's diligence in washing the wound with salt water, and keeping dirt and other debris out. Since then, Arrow never left Ukiah's side; minus the time he went to gather fish for him.

Standing up, Ukiah then let out a long yawn and said aloud "Wooh boy…better get to bed. I'll be leaving early in the morning." Turning, he walked past a basket loaded with pelts, leather belts and other apparel, and other items he gathered to be traded. He still needed to go to Thariin to resupply his tools. "Guess I'll see you in the morning, Arrow."

The dragon let out a long yawn as well, agreeing with Ukiah. Digging slightly into the ground, the dragon threw a small layer of loose dirt over him and laid his head down.

Laying on a large bear pelt, Ukiah watched his new friend fall asleep. Shaking his head, he thought to himself "How did I ever think I'd kill such a beast. He's been more loyal to me than anything I've ever had." The thought humbled him. Though he loved to hunt, and frankly was the only way he could survive; he wondered what would have happened if he tried to find a wolf pup or something like that. No matter, he now had a dragon as a friend. Something he was sure no one else had.

Smiling, Ukiah let himself drift into sleep; with one eye open.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter Three**_

"Hiccup! Hurry up son!" Stoick roared from the docks to the ship.

"I'm coming! I'm coming!" Hiccup yelled back, grabbing a small, heavy pouch off a barrel. "Dad seems a bit on edge right now." He muttered as he ran down the gangway. His prosthetic caught the end of the plank, causing him to stumble and almost fall into the water.

"Finally." Stoick grunted, ignoring the fact that Hiccup tripped up "I thought you were packing the entire ship for you daypack!"

"Just because I had to go back to the ship to get my gold doesn't mean that I was going to take three days to do it." Hiccup huffed back, standing up straight from his near swim.

Stoick just grunted and began to make way to the Thariin Keep set on a hill to the east. To which the ship's crew, Astrid, and Hiccup have never seen anything like it before. The grey stoned castle was big enough to fit the entire village of Berk! The size of the village of Thariin was equally impressive! It was exactly what Stoick had said it to be! Ten Berks altogether! Gawking at it, Hiccup noticed his dad seemed to be un-phased by the sight. He just kept on his quickened pace and headed straight for the massive castle. Astrid and Hiccup were having a hard time keeping the same pace.

"He's in a hurry isn't he?" Astrid whispered, jogging along just to keep up.

"Yeah, I guess he's really anxious right now. He doesn't want this meeting to be a waste of three weeks. Not to mention another three weeks sailing back!" Hiccup quietly replied.

"It better not be a waste of time; I can't stand that ship any longer!" Astrid growled, a little agitation in her voice.

"Heh, you and me both!" Hiccup smiled, agreeing with her. Watching his dad take the lead, his thoughts turned to the dragon he encountered a few nights ago. When he told everyone what happened, everyone kept an eye out for a Night Fury looking sea dragon. It wasn't long before Hiccup's dragon became something of a joke among the crew. Even Astrid teased him a little about it, even though she really believed him.

Hiccup knew that he saw a dragon, one that was never seen before; at least, in their records. Puzzling over the mystery, the thought of Toothless came into his mind. He missed his friend, and wished he stayed back at Berk rather than come on this trip with his dad. His thoughts were interrupted as Astrid pulled him along, since he was starting to fall behind.

The Keep was a lot farther than what all three of them thought. They've been walking for only five minutes and were just barely seeing parts of the village. The village itself was unique. It was built around a small bay that led back to the port. Along the water front were two platforms, with merchant stalls and other tables littered on them. One platform was low and right next to the water front. The other was sitting on stilts and standing over the lower platform. The markets seemed to be separated for a reason, but before Hiccup and Astrid could think about why, Stoick's angry shout grabbed their attention

"Oi! You two quit gawking and keep movin'! I'll leave ya behind if ya don't keep up!" He thundered, which made a few of the locals back away from the angry Viking.

"Sorry dad! Just looking around and-" Hiccup began to say, only to be cut off.

"You can look around after we meet with chief Strogg the Stone. I need to get there as soon as possible!" Stoick replied loudly, continuing his warpath down a street "Just stay with me, and don't get side tracked!"

Hiccup knew that his dad was under a lot of pressure and didn't even bother looking at anything else, even a fight that was taking place between a group of local's down another street.

Another fifteen minutes passed by, and the group finally made it to the Keep; well, at least to the pathway of steps that led up to the Keep. Hiccup and Astrid were surprised at how fast Stoick climbed the flights of stairs. Even Astrid, who was one of the most active and fit Vikings on Berk, was having trouble keeping up with him. Shaking her head, she then huffed out "Could you imagine living in a place that big!? I think I'd get lost in it for the first month!"

"I don't know if I could find my way out." Hiccup replied, a little out of breath "This entire place is huge! I didn't think this many people could live together!"

"Same here." Astrid answered, returning her focus to what was ahead. They were just arriving to the top, and a massive Viking was standing there, as if waiting for them. Chief Strogg the Stone.

The Viking was huge! Stoick was big, even for a Viking; but Strogg was 6 inches bigger in both height and width! The sight of him made Hiccup feel small. Well, smaller at least.

"Stoick the Vast, it is good to see you again!" Thundered Strogg, with open arms "I thought that was you making your way up here!"

"Like-wise…Strogg, like-wise" softly replied Stoick putting his hand on Strogg's shoulder. He seemed to be a little reserved at first, but that was quickly forgotten as they both embraced each other, as if they were trying to squeeze each other's head's off!

"Ohhhh…that's probably why dad was in such a hurry! He wanted to see an old buddy he never mentioned to me about" thought Hiccup, a little annoyed that his dad failed to mention that to him.

"Now then, who do we have here?" Strogg asked, looking down at both Astrid and Hiccup. "Your own?"

"Only one, and that's Hiccup" Stoick said proudly, looking at his son.

"Ahh…so you're the one who defeated the Red Death!" Strogg exclaimed, eyeing Hiccup. With a slightly confused look, he then added "I don't know if I would have believed it if you told me yourself."

"I know, I know…" Hiccup replied, again a little annoyed "That's about what everyone says when they first meet me."

"Hopefully we won't need your…dragon slaying skills while you're here." Strogg said jokingly, gesturing to Hiccup's metal leg "Wouldn't want you to lose your other leg!"

"Yeah, that would definitely be most unfortunate if that happened." Hiccup replied, a little agitation in his voice.

Astrid up until this point was enjoying the conversation. But after all this attention to Hiccup, she couldn't help but feel a little envious of Hiccup. Looking up at Strogg, she then took a small step forward; just to get noticed by Stoick.

"And this is Astrid Hofferson" Stoick announced, seeing Astrid step up "She is a true warrior in of herself!"

Strogg turned his attention from Hiccup, and stared at Astrid, almost studying her. She was holding her axe in a way that a confident Viking warrior always does, with a small arrogant smirk on her face. He knew she could fight, even at a young age. He knew she could stand her ground.

"I guess if there is a dragon raid while you're here, we'll be in good company with her." Strogg smiled, nodding approvingly.

"Oh sure, take all the credit away from the dragon slayer." Hiccup thought to himself, a lot more annoyed at this point. Looking at Astrid, he then thought about what he said. Truth was, Strogg was right. Astrid was a better dragon killer. Good thing she doesn't want to. Just thinking of Astrid going back to wanting to kill dragons gave him a chill down his neck. "Good thing that she won't go back." He reaffirmed in his mind.

"Come Stoick, we have much to catch up on, and to discuss. The two young ones can wander through the Keep if they wish to, and I have a table of the best food in all of Thariin prepared for you all." Strogg offered, gesturing towards the massive doors behind him.

"Thank you, but I think that they wanted to go and explore the village." Stoick quickly replied "They were as distracted as newborns learning to walk."

"Yes, we would like that. We've never seen a place so big before!" Astrid confirmed with great timing. Hiccup nodded his head as well, reinforcing what Astrid said.

"Very well, when you come back, the guards will let you in." Strogg said, glaring at the two guards posted in front of the giant doors, giving them a sign of 'don't bother them'.

With a sigh of relief, Hiccup and Astrid both thanked Strogg for his kindness and began to descend the flights of stairs. Both of them were excited to see other Vikings in a whole new setting, wondering what they would see and who they would meet. Little did they know was that one person they would meet, would change their lives forever.

* * *

The road that led to Thariin Village from Fallis Woods wasn't so much a road as it was a trail; and only a trail if you knew where to look for it. Having lived in Fallis all his life, Ukiah was really the only person who knew the trail. In fact he was sure that he was the one who blazed it to begin with.

Walking through the woods put Ukiah on edge. He didn't like it as much because he wasn't hunting, which made him feel soft and easy to stalk. It made him feel defenseless and helpless. The thought made him laugh lightly. He was far from helpless; not only was he carrying his crossbow, loaded with a bolt; he also had a friend watching him. Arrow, his most unlikely friend.

He had told Arrow to stay and explained to him that he would be back in three days. Of course, he never planned on Arrow listening to him. The dragon had a hard time separating himself from Ukiah, only when he went hunting.

Shaking his head, he turned around and caught a quick glimpse of Arrow's green eyes in some brush. Realizing he was spotted, the dragon which quickly disappeared. Hearing Arrow run noisily away, Ukiah then shouted "We gotta work on your stealth friend! You may be invisible at night and in the dirt, but man if everything can't hear you anywhere else!" Laughing, he quickly turned and continued his journey, while keeping an eye out for small game that he would use for his food on the trip. On all his trips, he usually picked up a couple of rabbits and birds that wouldn't weigh him down, and were still good eating.

Having left early that morning in the dark, the trip was taking all day, as the sun was low in the sky. He figured he had two hours of light left. Picking up his pace, he tried to make more headway. He wanted to try and set up his stand and make a few trades before the market closed. He usually only stayed in the village for one and a half days, and the remaining pelts and leather that he didn't sell; he usually gave to the blacksmith for crossbow bolts. An agreement they made among each other.

Reaching the top of a hill and edge of the forest, he could see Thariin Keep and the village below it. It was still a good two miles away, but short enough where he knew he'd make his goal. Seeing the Keep, Ukiah suddenly flared up with hatred. It wasn't the actual building that set him off, it was the person living in it. Strogg. Ukiah was one of few who knew his true colors; a ruthless tyrant who only cared really for himself, who enjoyed watching death as though it were a game. To add to his list of reasons to hate Strogg, was that the man only had one passion; making sure the dragon arena was full of dragons or criminals.

The dragon arena was the one thing that Ukiah disagreed with most Vikings. Not only because he had a dragon that was his friend, it was just a rule that he lived with. He hated any kind of animal, dragons included, suffering. The arena was only a tool to kill dragons in a slow and degrading way. "There's only one way to kill anything," Ukiah angrily whispered to himself "and that's to do it quickly."

Most times, Strogg liked to have dragons pitted against each other; but when dragons were thinning out in the cages, they would have the villages' most prestigious warriors fight them. If they won, they were on a road to become a Champion of Thariin. You had to kill at least one of every kind known dragon in order to achieve the status, minus the Night Fury, as no one had seen one; let alone capture one. Then when the dragons were down to two or three left in the cages, they pitted them against the village criminals and outlaws. It was an execution for either one, though weighted in the dragon's favor. The only incentive for the convict to win was to be able to live one more day. It was just a way to prolong the inevitable. Ukiah watched one match, and it was a criminal against a Gronckle. Watching both fight only to survive made him sick to his stomach. He swore that he would never go to another match again.

Still thinking of Strogg, Ukiah's heart began to beat faster. The real reason why he hated Strogg, was the reason why Ukiah had no home or family. At least that was what his guardian, Jessika, told him. And given that he was alone most of his life, he just accepted that to be the truth that he would never be able to understand. He didn't know how, or even why, but all he was told was he didn't have a family because of that man and a large raiding party. He didn't get details because Jessika disappeared after going to the village for a trip, when he was barely seven. He still had no idea what happened to her, though he decided her disappearance was due to Strogg; though he had no proof.

His thoughts were interrupted as he found himself approaching the front of the gate of Thariin. Being halted by the gate guards, he quickly explained what he intended to do. After watching them talk among each other, and checking his loaded basket strapped to his back; one then escorted him to the market place and gave him an assigned spot to sell his goods.

His assigned spot was at the upper marketplace, an area designated for those that didn't live in the village or those who had unique goods to sell or were foreigners. The lower marketplace was made up of locals, such as farmers, butchers, and blacksmiths.

Most of the vendors had a table or stall to display their items. Ukiah only had a small woven blanket which was designated only for displaying his merchandise. After laying the blanket down and organizing his pelts and leather apparel, he began calling out to people:

"You there! Yes you! You look like a true Viking warrior! How about a new leather belt to carry your axe?" or "Wouldn't the lady of the house love this nice bear pelt as a coat or a blanket? Only ten arrowheads!"

Honestly, he didn't really need to say anything. He was one of the few who sold pelts and furs and it was always lot easier for a Viking to buy or trade new fur boots than to hunt an animal down. It wasn't long before Ukiah had a group of people around his spot. It was going to be a good day, he could feel it.

* * *

"Wow can you believe the size of the market alone?!" Astrid exclaimed, staring at the crowd of people.

Hiccup was equally amazed at the shear amount of people bustling around. "It's huge!" He replied in awe.

"Come on, let's check out the all the stalls and stands!" Astrid shouted excitedly, jogging to the stands. Shouldering her axe, she received a few quizzical stares, as no one really carried their weapon around. It didn't take her long to notice the stares. "You'd think that these people never seen a weapon before." She whispered, staring down a gawking local.

Hiccup also got a few curious looks too, with his leg "I guess Vikings in general. I don't see a single person who hasn't lost a limb!"

Shrugging at the attention, Astrid then walked up to a stand that had some bread laid out to be seen. Hiccup felt his gold clink together as he followed her, letting his eyes begin to search for what he was looking for.

Stoick had given each of them twelve gold coins, and they both wanted to get something so that they could remember this trip; besides how long of a trip it was. Hiccup actually had second motive to shopping with Astrid; he wanted to get something for her to remember him by, and of course the trip. He was a little shy about the thought of buying her a gift, because he was used to…well you know, flying on a dragon with her, having Toothless carry her as they went hiking around Berk, sharpening her axe in Gobber's shop. The usual stuff! This was different, because it was going to be first thing that he would give her that would be a real surprise.

After browsing a few of the stalls, they learned that all the vendors on the lower platform had only local stuff such as food. After talking to a few of the stall owners, they were directed to go to the upper marketplace. Excited about the new options they discovered, they started to visit every vendor they could.

Walking up to a stall, they both stared at a selection of curved swords. Both had never seen anything like them before.

"Huh. These look interesting." Astrid said aloud, running a finger down the side of the blade.

The shop owner smiled as he watched Astrid stare at the blade, and explained "They're called scimitars. They're more common in the south desert lands, far away from here."

"Interesting…" Astrid replied, flicking the metal with her finger. Looking at the owner, she asked "Can I hold one?"

"Well…I usually, don't let kids play with them, but…" The owner smiled, as he pulled up a scimitar "You seem to know how to handle a weapon."

Astrid smiled at the comment, and handed her axe to Hiccup who stumbled slightly at the sudden change in weight. Grabbing the hilt of the sword, she stood back and gave it a few swings. "Ugh, it feels different." She commented, a little disappointed "It's feels like the weight isn't balanced."

"That's because you're probably used to a longsword!" The owner replied, watching Astrid strike at an imaginary target "The curve places the weight differently than what you're probably used to."

Looking at the sword, she then gently handed it back. "Do you have anything more…traditional?"

"Let's see here…" The owner replied, looking in a cupboard behind his stand.

Hiccup handed her axe back, smiling as well "Why are you so interested in weapons? We have plenty of those at Berk."

"Why do you like creating stuff?" She retorted back, smirking at him "You have your hobbies, and I have mine."

Hiccup just shook his head with a smile. Returning his attention to the owner, he then thought "I don't want to get her another weapon. I want to get her something…special."

"Ah! How about this dagger?" The owner asked, smiling as he pulled out an iron dagger. The blade itself wasn't entirely impressive, even to Hiccup; but the handle was beautiful. It was a carved wolf head, looking like it was howling. The detail was incredible, with small blue gems for eyes, and a silver-like dust coated the fur.

Astrid's eyes lit up at the dagger, seeing the detail in the handle. Reaching up for it, she asked "How much?"

"Ah, well for your pretty face, ten gold." The owner smiled, seeing Astrid hold the dagger with care.

"Deal!" She immediately said, reaching for her pouch. Pulling out the two coins, she handed the bag to the owner.

While the owner counted the coins, Astrid handed it to Hiccup. "Think you can help me put a better blade in the handle?"

Taking it carefully, Hiccup inspected it. The iron was dull, but was still solid. "I don't think it needs a new blade. Just needs a little action on the whetstone." Hiccup answered, moving onto the handle. The detail impressed him. He kind of wished he had seen it first, to give to Astrid. This would have been the exception to getting her a weapon.

"Thank you!" Astrid replied with a smile, turning back to the owner.

"Any time, young one." The owner smiled "I wouldn't have sold you anything if you hadn't already had a weapon with you."

"I guess that's still something we're getting used to." Astrid replied, turning and watching the crowd. It was getting noticeably less busy.

"Better start heading back where you came from." The owner instructed "The market closes when the sun sets. Wouldn't want you two to be out on the streets alone."

Hiccup felt like something hit him in the stomach. He was running out of time to find something for Astrid! He knew they were staying for at least a week, but he wanted to do this as soon as possible!

Astrid thanked the shopkeeper again, starting to walk away. Turning to Hiccup she then said "If what that owner said is true, we don't have any more time to browse. We can come back tomorrow for you, Hiccup."

Hiccup frantically began scanning the platform, hoping to see something that would catch his eye.

"Come on Hiccup! Let's head back up to the Keep." Astrid urged, pulling on him.

Defeated, Hiccup followed Astrid while looking at the ground. He wanted so bad to surprise her, but it looked like he was going to be waiting another night.

As the two began to make way to the stairs that led down, a single voice caught both their attention. "Don't leave! I'm open all night! Leather belts have never been so easy to get! Don't get me started with the pelts!" The voice called out, as if the person was trying to pull some of the local's attention towards him.

Hiccup was thrilled when he heard the voice. Turning to Astrid, he then asked "One more stop? He said he was open all night!"

"Fine, I guess we can see what he has." Astrid laughed, seeing the excitement in his eyes.

Walking alongside each other, they quickly found the stall. Not even a stall, but a person standing next to a blanket covered with pelts and other leather gear. The owner couldn't have been more than a year older than themselves. He looked like he was confident and strong, but in his own way. His black braided hair and his smile seemed to be able to calm even the most frenzied feelings. The hazel eteHis gear seemed to amplify his looks as well; with the leather vest that had plenty of markings and broken straps, blood-stained gauntlets, with a dagger strapped to his chest.

Now, Astrid always liked Hiccup. Even a little bit before he learned how to train dragons; though he was a mutton head and weakling most of the times. Now she had even more reason to like him! However, if Hiccup wasn't available, this kid would have been something to look at. Maybe even…chase after? The thought made Astrid feel a little anxious. She never had to look for someone, as most of the boys on Berk followed her all the time; mainly led by Snotlout.

"Hello there!" The owner replied with a wide smile "Take your time! I'll be here all night!"

"Why's that" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

Waving to a guard that walked by, the kid explained "I actually don't come here that often, and don't stay too long. Where other traders stay for a few weeks, I stay at most a day. So the guards let me stay open all night, even if no one's really here to buy. It's essentially my bedroom too."

"Where are you from then?" Hiccup asked, standing next to Astrid.

"I'm from here, just not here; I live 20 miles east in a forest." He answered "That's why I don't set up in the market below, since I'm not really a local."

"Huh. Well we're not from here either." Astrid replied, smiling at the teenager. Gesturing to the pile of pelts, she observed "So you're a hunter then, aren't you?"

"What gave it away?" He asked jokingly, pointing to a crossbow set against the wall.

"That must be fun…what's your name?" Astrid followed up with, starting to browse a selection of leather belts and such.

"Ukiah" he replied, bowing slightly to her as he introduced himself. That was all he was known as: Ukiah. No last name, no title, just Ukiah.

Astrid nodded in acknowledgement and then something caught her eye. Kneeling down, she picked up a leather headband with unique carvings in it. They were carvings of Swallows, each one having a unique pose.

Hiccup was studying what Astrid was holding, thinking he may have just found what he was looking for.

Ukiah also saw the interest on Astrid's face. Jumping on the moment to make a trade, he then explained "That's the best one that I made in this lot. It took me two attempts on separate headbands to get the pattern looking how I wanted it to, and then three days of patient etching just to get it done with no mistakes." Chuckling, he then added "You have no idea what I went through to finish that thing."

"Wow, it's beautiful…but I don't think I can afford it." Astrid said sadly, holding it loosely in her hand.

"Well, it happens to be ten arrowheads, but since you two look like nice people, and have been very kind to me by visiting my stall while everyone is closing; I'll sell it for five instead." Ukiah announced, smiling at Astrid. Though he knew he could get a better trade out of that specific headband, she was cute! When he saw her, especially the way she was carrying her axe, he knew she was a special girl. If he could give this to her, maybe she'd remember him. Maybe.

Astrid's face displayed a great amount of grief, as if a knife was being turned in a wound. "We don't have arrowheads…I only have two gold pieces."

Before Ukiah could talk about a deal, Hiccup stumbled as he ran in between her and him. Tripping over a pelt that he was pretending to look at, he excitedly asked "I only have gold too, but will twelve work instead? I bet you could buy more arrowheads with that then trading a headband for them!"

Looking up at Hiccup and realizing what he was doing, Ukiah laughed, saying "Fair point, I'll sell it to ya' so you can give it to your friend! How 'bout nine gold? I can't be in good conscience knowing I took all of what you had."

"Deal!" Hiccup agreed loudly, smiling from ear to ear.

Astrid looked at Hiccup with a great deal of embarrassment and amazement on her face. As Hiccup gave the gold to Ukiah, he turned to Astrid smiling. To which Astrid quickly changed his facial expression from happy, to pain, with single a punch to the arm.

"Oof! I thought we were done with that part!" Hiccup shouted, rubbing his arm tenderly.

Without saying a word Astrid grabbed Hiccup's shirt, pulled him closer, and kissed him. "Thank you." She whispered.

"Ah, I guess we're not done with that then…" Hiccup replied with a smile.

Ukiah being a spectator, felt a little bit of a sting. He should have known better that a girl as pretty as her would have had someone special. Turning to Hiccup, he hid his disappointment by asking "You're a lucky Viking, you two close?"

"Wha-What!?" Hiccup stuttered out of shock. Even Astrid looked horrified at the comment.

Seeing them flounder a little, Ukiah silently let out a whoop of joy. Not wanting them, especially her, to catch on, he laughed and began to push them away "Never mind. Forget I said anything. However, you guys better start heading back home, the town guard aren't really friendly when kids are in the streets at night, and some of the locals aren't much better. 'Specially if they've been drinking."

"Thank you Ukiah, maybe we'll see you tomorrow before you leave." Astrid said hopefully.

"Well, I'll be here all day tomorrow; I'm leaving the morning after. If anyone you know needs some furs or a new leather belt, don't be afraid to bring them with you!" Ukiah replied with a smile "Or…you can drop by and say hi. I'm not opposed to that either."

The two waved good-bye as they started their trek back to the docks. As they walked, Astrid took off her old head band and put the new one on, making sure her hair was the exact same way she had it before. Watching her, Hiccup was absolutely smitten when he saw her do this. Seeing the small, goofy grin on his face, she punched him in the arm a second time.

"Agh! Well it was worth it." Hiccup chuckled, his smile staying on his face.

Watching the two go, Ukiah wished that his one friend could be here with him. Sighing, he then knelt down and made sure his pelts were organized the way he like them. Sitting down and leaning against the wooden railing behind him, he looked up into the night sky thinking of Arrow.

Little did he know, was that he wasn't really alone, and was looking straight at his very friend. When Arrow watched Ukiah walk into Thariin, he couldn't stand the fact that he couldn't see him anymore; so when night fell, he flew up high enough to not be seen and was flying circles around Thariin, watching over Ukiah.

Ukiah continued to look up into the night sky, and obviously not seeing Arrow, pulled a fur pelt over him and fell into a deep sleep, this time with both eyes closed.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter Four**_

"You there, wake up!" a voice ordered, causing Ukiah to jolt suddenly.

"Wha-what's going on, who's there?" He asked in shock, his head whipping up in surprise.

"The Thariin Guard that's who; now get up!" The voice ordered again.

Feeling someone kick his side, Ukiah grunted as he rolled at the force. "The guard? I didn't call for the guard?" A lot more awake, he looked up and saw four heavily armed guards standing around him with torches.

The leader of the group continued to say, "No one called us; you're under arrest for poaching on Strogg the Stone's land."

Ukiah's head snapped up "What!? Poaching? I haven't been poaching! I've been hunting the same grounds for my entire life! I've never been even bothered with these issues!" Ukiah at this point was up on his feet "Besides! Strogg doesn't own Fallis Woods! No one does!"

"Wrong. Strogg owns all nearby land, which Fallis Woods fall under that category." Growled the captain. "Now, march with us quietly or in irons. Your choice." Turning to another guard, the captain then ordered "Prepare a cell for the arena."

"No! I can't go to the arena! The place that I swore to never would go to again!" Ukiah screamed in his head. "Wait! When did this become an issue? I'll pay whatever you charge!" Ukiah exclaimed "I won't hunt there again! I promise! I had no idea Strogg owned those lands!"

The expression on his face must have shown the fear Ukiah had, making the captain feel bolder. "It's an issue now and you will pay by serving time in the arena. Now move!" The captain yelled, drawing his sword.

"Fine, fine…you win. I'll come quietly. Let me just put away my stuff…" Ukiah whispered hoarsely, and sounding defeated. He slowly moved towards his pack, as if putting something away.

"Move now! I'll add five extra years to your sentence, supposing you live that long!" The captain yelled, waving the sword.

Ukiah was already sifting through his stuff. Pretending to fold some pelts, he suddenly reached out and snatched his crossbow and quiver; then bolted off running, all with lightning quick reflexes.

"Halt!" The captain screamed, seeing that he was played.

In one smooth motion, Ukiah slung his crossbow over his back with his spears' strap holding it in place. While running faster than he ever did before, he skillfully secured his quiver to his right leg with a strap attached to the quiver.

"You two, over there! Don't let him get to those stairs!" The lead guard ordered "Corral him up here! He can't go anywhere if we lock him in!"

Realizing that he was trapped in the upper marketplace, he began looking below the wall he was running next to. There were a few market stalls right below him a good fifteen feet below. Praying that a crazy idea would work, Ukiah jumped on top of wood railing; and in one bound, and without a second thought, leaped off the ledge.

Plunging into the darkness feet first, he felt something solid under his feet. CRASH! A table collapsed as Ukiah landed on it. His balance thrown off, he rolled on the ground. Finally stopping on his stomach, he looked around him to see spilled produce everywhere "Ugh, well it worked at least." He grunted, pushing himself up.

"No! Get him!" Screamed the captain, more panicked at the thought of losing his prisoner.

Energy surged through him as he used the little head start he had to run away. "I just need to get out of here and into the foothills; no one will find me once I'm out there." Ukiah thought, as his boots pounded the ground. Looking around, he quickly learned that jumping off the upper market was both good and bad. Good for the fact that he wasn't cornered anymore, and he landed facing a dimly lit street. The bad being the guards in the lower market place were now hot on his heels. Not wasting a moment of short lived advantage, he began to book it down the empty street. By all means, he was in better shape and was carrying lighter gear than what a Viking guard would be carrying; so staying ahead of them wasn't an issue.

Increasing his distance between him and the guards, he arrived at a three way intersection. Taking only a moment to study his options, he saw at least two torches in each street and walking towards him; being guards drawn to the unusual shouting. Seeing a stack of crates next to an awning, Ukiah whispered "Looks like I'll follow Arrow's method of getting away. Up!"

Jumping onto the crates, he leapt up and grabbed the awning. Hefting himself up, he quickly rolled onto his feet. Now being unhindered by random objects in the streets, Ukiah moved silently on top of the awnings and roofs. Jumping between buildings, he saw a place to where he could cross to the other side of the street. A thin plank of wood stretched over the street, while a single lantern hung from the center.

Focusing on it, he leaped forward and landed one foot on the plank. Without hesitation, he and then immediately pushed off the plank, feeling it bend with his weight on it. Landing safely on the other side of the street, Ukiah laughed softly and began making his way back to where he came from. He could hear the guards shouting obscenities about him and ran past where he was standing on the roofs. Watching the guards run past him, he continued to glide across the rooftops. "I should have been a thief!" He thought confidently, as he continued his course.

At length, he was back at the intersection where he first climbed on top of the roof. Seeing the crates that he used to climb to the roof, smashed and tipped over, he knew exactly what happened when the guards tried to do the same as him. Smiling, he silently jumped down from the roof. Double checking the streets, he then whispered smugly "Good. No torches."

"Great observation, poacher." A voice came from behind.

Those were the last words Ukiah heard before the world went black.

* * *

"I think it's this way" Hiccup announced, turning down a well-lit street.

"Hiccup! Don't you remember that blacksmithing stand? We passed it 3 times already!" Astrid replied, a little agitated that Hiccup wouldn't let her lead.

"Hmm? No, no, this is totally a different way; trust me I know where I'm going." Hiccup responded pathetically.

Astrid then walked over to the counter of the stand and kneeled down, picking something up. "What's this then?" she asked turning around and holding a dagger with the wolf carved in the handle.

"Oh well, um, that's a dagger that you, um…found?" Hiccups voice kind of cracked when he finished that sentence.

"Face it, you're lost! Let me try to find the way to the Keep, ok?" Astrid growled, trying to be as calm as she could.

"Fine…" Hiccup whispered dejectedly. He was so disappointed in his navigation skills.

Looking at the massive Keep, Astrid started to head towards down a darker street "Come on, we'll go straight." She announced, pointing down the street.

Hiccup shook his head as he quickened his pace to catch up to Astrid. Ever since they left the market, they've been wandering the streets of Thariin for a good hour! Thanks to his navigational skills. In his defense, the path to the Keep wasn't as straight forward as it looked.

Walking for a few minutes, they found the path that led up to the Keep; but also noticed a pathway that led what looked like a big arena. It had large wooden platforms built in a circle around the foreign looking object. Located next to the Keep, it looked like it was a popular place to go; given the size of the structures.

"Wonder what that is?" Astrid asked, intrigued by the sight "I can't believe we missed that earlier…come on, let's check it out real quick."

"Don't you think we should be getting back to the Keep?" Hiccup quickly threw in, looking at the arena like structure "Why don't we explore it tomorrow?"

"Oh come on Hiccup, where's your sense of adventure? I thought you loved seeing new things." Astrid teased, smirking back at him. "Besides, we're already late; a few more minutes won't hurt. And if you were in a hurry, you would have asked the group of guards we saw on how to get back! Or at least have let me lead earlier."

"Well yeah, but, uh…um...oh alright, fine." Hiccup groaned, a lot more defeated than when he let her take over the adventure to find their way back. Following Astrid, he couldn't help but think how he embarrassed himself at trying to figure out how to get to the Keep. It wasn't like they couldn't see it at any point.

Both walking to the ring like structure, they quickly realized that it was a dragon arena. Banners hung from the large wooden structures, which turned out to be seats for a crowd to sit around. Murals of dragons being killed were painted on the walls of the arena, creating an eerie feeling. Almost hesitating against her own idea, Astrid kept on moving in. Walking through one of the arch-ways that sat in between the stadium seats, she stood there gaping at the size of the place. With seats around the entire ring and a chain net draped over the actual arena; they both stood there amazed.

"You could fit two of our arenas in there." Hiccup whispered, staring down at the stone floor that made the arena. It was almost polished, as if it were wet. It reflected the stars that shone above them, creating a mesmerizing feeling.

"You there! Halt!" a voice came from beside them, which startled both of them.

Whirling around simultaneously, they watched a guard with a torch walking towards them.

"You shouldn't be here." Growled the guard, stopping right in front of them. His eyes narrowed in the flickering light the torch gave. Realizing they were kids, he then barked out "Why are you out this late?"

"We uh, were just looking around and um and…" Hiccup stammered, only to be cut off by Astrid.

"We were lost, trying to find the pathway to the Keep." She inserted, standing up to the guard "We were looking for it when we found the path way to here."

"You're not from around here?" The guard asked, his angry expression softening a little.

"No, we're from Berk. We're with Stoick the Vast." Astrid answered, still not backing down.

"Stoick?" the guard replied, puzzled at the answer "I thought he was in the Keep? What are you two doing out here this late by yourselves?"

"Stoick and Strogg stayed in the Keep to talk. We decided to visit the village and see what there was here." Hiccup replied, seeing the guard was getting a lot less angry.

"Yeah, we were supposed to meet back at the Keep; but we got lost and found this place instead." Astrid affirmed, gesturing to the arena.

"Humph, maybe you should tell me your names and then I might believe you." The guard said a little suspicious.

"My name's Astrid Hofferson." Astrid stated with a hint of frustration behind her voice.

"Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third." Hiccup followed up with. He spoke with authority this time. He knew his reputation was known here.

"What? You're Hiccup the dragon killer? The guard said looking surprised and even more suspicious.

"Why do people not believe me!? Do they think that I lost my foot tripping over a rock or something?!" Hiccup exclaimed angrily, shaking his leg in front of him.

"No, no, no!" the guard quickly added, changing his attitude and demeanor. He didn't want to be the one guard that offended a renowned hero "I was just expecting someone…bigger, if I'm honest."

"Yeah, everyone says that too." Hiccup said gloomily.

The guard burst into laughter, saying "Well I didn't think a hero such as yourself would be the type to get lost."

"Yeah, tell me about it." Astrid threw in, looking at Hiccup with a smirk "Led us astray for a good hour, I swear!"

Hiccup just shook his head; it was a losing battle for him so he wasn't even going to try to excuse himself.

"Let me get someone to take my watch. I'll be more than happy to escort you to the Keep." The guard added with a smile.

"Thanks." Hiccup replied, still a little dejected.

"Horker! HORKER!" the guard yelled, cupping his hand over his mouth to amplify it.

"Yeah? What is it?" replied another guard whose torch was the only thing visible.

"I'm going to guide some kids to the Keep, cover my post will ya?"

"Yeah, yeah, sure thing." The other guard yelled back, sounding a little annoyed at the request.

"Come on, it's not a far walk." The guard announced, beckoning the two to follow him "Almost the same pathway really."

"So is the arena used…often?" Astrid asked, following the guard.

"Well, not recently. We haven't had a dragon raid in a while; plus the last criminal in the ring was lucky enough to get an axe into the throat of our last Nadder." The guard answered, not turning to face her "But he never recovered from the burns; lost him a day later too."

"What?!" Astrid and Hiccup exclaimed at the same time, staring at the guard with wide eyes.

Hiccup was the first to follow up with a question "You said…a criminal was fighting a dragon?"

"Yeah, we use the arena to either execute criminals or dragons; and in that case, both of them. In the end, we win." The guard replied calmly, not giving it a second thought.

Hiccup and Astrid were disturbed. Not only because they loved their dragons, but the fact that Thariin uses arena as a form of execution. To be honest, they never really had criminals either that weren't dealt with swiftly. And justly.

Walking in silence, the two just looked at each other with a little relief. It was a good thing they didn't bring their dragons; who knows what the people would have done? Especially if they were short on dragons.

After a few more minutes, they arrived at the door to the Keep. Elbowing Hiccup in the side, Astrid then teased him by saying "See? Not too hard to find!"

"How long are you gonna ride that?" Hiccup asked, grimacing at the jab.

"Haven't decided yet." She laughed, looking at him mischievously "But more than likely, I'll run it as far as I can."

The guard had knocked on the door. The door opened with a loud creaking to it, causing both Hiccup and Astrid to grimace as the sound grained against their ears. The guard then began to converse with someone inside. Hiccup and Astrid waited until the guard finished talking, to which he turned and stood aside to let them in "There you go! You'll be guided to the rooms you'll be staying in."

"Thanks for your help." Astrid said with an expression of relief on her face.

"Yeah, thanks..." Hiccup followed up with, still a little depressed.

This obviously wasn't his night to shine for Astrid. Looking up at her, his face then broke into a small smile. Seeing her with her new headband, it made everything fade away. Getting that headband for her was worth everything that happened tonight. She would have that for a really long time, mainly due to the fact he threw away her old headband when she was adjusting the new one.

"No problem. Tell you what, if you two want to, you can come back to the arena tomorrow and I can give you a tour of it. The cages are all empty, even the criminal ones. Which is actually pretty rare for that to happen." The guard said, smiling at the two "Think of it as a way for me to repay how I treated you two earlier."

"Thanks, we'll have to see about that." Hiccup replied, though secretly he wanted nothing to do with the arena.

"I hope you come by!" The guard called out as he walked into the night "Have a good night!"

"You too!" They both shouted back.

The guard just waved his hand in acknowledgement, not looking back.

"Wooh…ready to get some rest?" Astrid asked, yawning as she began to into the hallway. A person was standing there, ready to guide them.

"I'm way past ready!" Hiccup replied, also yawning "Even my peg leg feels tired."

The person then smiled, overhearing the conversation. "Then please, follow me!"

Smiling, Astrid and Hiccup nodded in acknowledgement as they followed the single servant. That alone was something they never truly experienced; and honestly, the thought of telling a person what to do made them feel a little awkward.

The two were guided through a series of hallways and rooms. Hiccup and Astrid had to stop to stare at the Great Hall. It was huge! It could fit two of Berk's Great Hall. After getting their fill in for observing the room, they continued on their journey to their rooms.

"Here you two go!" The servant replied, gesturing to two doors next to each other "A fire is started in each room, and your beds are ready as well."

"Uh…thank you." Hiccup replied, looking at the servant sheepishly.

The servant did a quick bow and turned to walk away, leaving the two standing in the empty hallway.

Astrid gave Hiccup a wry smile as she opened up the door to her room. "Huh, look at that. A balcony!" She said, walking through her doorway.

Hiccup opened up his door as well, revealing a balcony on the far end of his room as well.

Astrid already disappeared into her room, setting her axe next to the bed and was standing on the balcony to stare at the sight. Smiling, Hiccup also walked into his room, standing on his balcony next to her.

"Wow. Never thought I'd live to experience something like this…" Astrid whispered, leaning against the stone railing.

"Yeah…me neither." Hiccup replied, staring down at the village that was dotted with lanterns and torches.

The serene moment was interrupted when Astrid asked aloud "Hey. How about we check out the rest of the market tomorrow? I want to see Ukiah one more time before he leaves."

"Wait, why?!" Hiccup asked, looking across from his balcony to hers, a little alarmed at this.

"Well, he was nice to us, and he gave you a deal that you obviously needed for me." She explained while pointing to her new headband.

"Yeah, well, that was…well…" Hiccup was lost for words again.

Astrid laughed "I just want to thank him for the headband, nothing more." Turning to face the village, she then quickly added "Oh and maybe give him a kiss goodbye."

Hiccup looked at her with a horrified expression to which she just laughed again. Realizing it was a joke, Hiccup relaxed, smiling also. Both of them were enjoying the view and each other, when faintly, they began to hear a familiar sound. It was almost a faint whistling sound, which grew louder and sharper; almost turning into a banshee like scream.

Astrid, realizing what it was, looked at Hiccup whose face went pale. "Hiccup, is that a…" She began to say.

"NIGHT FURY!" Someone screamed, taking the words out of her mouth.

Suddenly a huge orange explosion went off in the middle of the village, right where the market place was at.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter Five**_

After the leader of the guard knocked Ukiah out, he had him hauled off to the arena dungeon. Smiling at his genius that allowed him to catch the new criminal, he pulled up his belt with satisfaction and began to follow the rest of the guards that were carrying Ukiah away. While walking with his head up high, he failed to hear the small whistle sound, turning into the scream that everyone feared to hear. Unfortunately, he heard the scream too late to react, which allowed Arrow to blast him with one shot.

"Night Fury!" The rest of the guards screamed. Scattering, they left one guard with Ukiah, who ended up dragging him to cover.

One of the guards ran to a bell that was stationed in the marketplace. Grabbing the rope, he shook it violently.

DING, DING, DING, DING, DING, DING!

Soon the entire village was ringing with bells. Guards were running everywhere, torches were lit and hoisted into the air. All useless against a creature that no one ever saw before.

Boom! Again! Another orange explosion went off; this time at the arena and next to the Keep, bringing all of the guard's attention to that area. The whistling sound of the dragon hitting high speeds sounded in the air, confusing the guards in trying to find where it went. Occasionally a silhouette would catch a shimmer of light, only to disappear just as fast.

Stoick and Strogg were still discussing the trade route when they heard the alarm bells ringing. Strogg bolted to the nearby window. Staring out of it, he exploded with anger when he saw his favorite place erupt in flames. "Concentrate all the nets and ropes over the arena! Don't try to find where it's at specifically! I want that thing alive!" Then turning to a guard standing at the ready, he ordered "Captain, have the men load the keep's catapults with nets! Have them fire over the village at the same time! We're going to create a blanket in the sky!"

"Yes my Chief" Replied the captain, whirling around and running out of the room.

Stoick at this point could do nothing but grab his hammer and follow Strogg, who was running down the stairway and out the main door.

"I'm sorry Hiccup," He thought to himself, knowing what a Night Fury meant to his son "I have to help Strogg now..."

* * *

"Hiccup! Where are you going?!" Astrid yelled, watching him leave his balcony.

"I have to stop them! They can't kill it!" Hiccup roared, running out of his room and down the hallway.

"You're insane Hiccup! It's not Toothless! It'll kill you!" Astrid screamed back, also bolting out of her room to try and stop him.

Hiccup didn't hear her, he had to do something! He never saw a Toothless have an orange flame or blast, but then again, Toothless was the only Night Fury he knew! Maybe each one was different or unique? Bumping into guards or others in the hallway, he just kept on charging through. Focused on getting outside and back to the village, another explosion went off; shaking the walls.

Hiccup could see dust and dirt fall from the ceiling from the quaking and rumbling. Stumbling, he caught himself on a bookshelf. "Why is a Night Fury attacking without a real reason?" He frantically thought to himself "What about me? What am I going to do? Even if I see the Night Fury, how am I going to do to stop it from attacking?"

Running out of the Keep's doors, he gasped at what he saw. The market center was ablaze, and the arena just below the Keep was all but a raging orange inferno.

"Prepare all catapults with nets! We're firing them all over the arena at the same time!" A guard shouted "These are Strogg's orders! Do not let up!"

Catching his attention, Hiccup saw a catapult get loaded with a balled up net "No stop! Don't shoot the dragon!" He shouted, running to the men.

Taken back by the comment, the guard in charge of the catapult turned to Hiccup. Angry, he then barked "Get inside whelp! A Night Fury is attacking!"

"I know! You can't hurt him! It-" Hiccup was cut off by the words of the Captain in charge.

"Fire!"

Looking over at Thariin Village and the Keep, he saw dozens more catapults launching their nets and Bolas into the air. "I'm too late…"Hiccup whispered, falling onto his knees, staring helplessly at the village.

Astrid finally was able to catch up with him. Before she could say anything, a screech pierced the air. Hiccup swore his heart stopped as he went into a flashback of when he shot down Toothless. A silhouetted object fell out of the sky and crashed somewhere in the center of the village. A cheer rang throughout the village; from the docks, clear to the keep. The only ones not celebrating were Hiccup and Astrid, who silently stared at the arena, still ablaze.

* * *

"Where is it?" Strogg yelled, loud enough that guards from the street next to them tried to answer.

"It landed next to the market place! We've already secured it and are waiting your orders." A younger captain stated, marching along with Strogg "I've already had some of the men prepare the strongest cage we have in the arena."

"Let me see it before you haul it off. I want to see what this…dragon looks like." Strogg growled, his face visibly darkening; even in the darkness of the night.

"Yes my chief" The captain replied, marching ahead of him.

Turning to Stoick, Strogg apologized to him saying "I'm sorry Stoick, I must take care of this; you can go back to the Keep and wait for my return."

"No, I would like to be with you. This dragon attack also requires my attention." Stoick answered. He was hoping that he would be able to help the dragon in any way that he could, even if it was indirectly.

"It does not require your attention, only mine. I want to deal with this alone" Strogg replied firmly, ending any chances that Stoick had to be able to come along. "I'll only be a few minutes with it."

"Very well." Stoick replied, trying to hide the disappointment in his voice "I'll go check on the kids and my crew, make sure they're not doing anything they shouldn't be."

"Ha! If anything I bet they helped! Especially the girl, Astrid!" Strogg laughed, grabbing his friend's shoulder and squeezing it.

"Yes, they may have…they very well may have…" Stoick whispered, hiding his doubt in his voice.

"I'll see you tomorrow then, my friend. Please, I insist that we meet at the arena; bring the two young ones with you. I'd like to treat you three to front row seats of the arena! I think we'll be having an eventful day tomorrow!" Strogg said smiling. Then turning to the burning arena, added "Well, I may be able to give you the only seats left, if they haven't burned away."

"I'll see that they get the invitation; good luck friend" Stoick acknowledged, returning a hand on the shoulder.

"Now, take me to the dragon!" Strogg ordered, turning away from Stoick.

Several 'yes sirs' went off at the same time and Strogg was led away, out of Stoick's sight.

* * *

"So, this is it?" Strogg asked, staring at the unconscious dragon. It was sleeker than what he expected, but it did indeed look like what he imagined a Night Fury looking like. Mean, quick, deadly. Sharp even.

"Yes my chief, it must have been knocked senseless from the impact. We already checked to see if it was still breathing." The young captain replied. Pointing to a house, he then added "You can see that it went right through that house right there." Then changing his attention from the building to the dragon, the captain observed "It's not as big as I imagined it being, but you can see the damage it created for being smaller than most other dragons."

"Remember this captain, size does not matter in a fight, skill and experience does." Strogg stated, almost annoyed.

"Yes my chief, I'll be sure to remember that from now on" The captain acknowledged, realizing he annoyed his leader.

Turning his complete attention to the unconscious dragon, Strogg just stood there and just stared at it; curling his fists and wishing it was awake. Realizing there was nothing to do about it, he finally ordered it to be sent into the arena. At least what was left of it. As he began walking back to the Keep, his attention was turned to a guard carrying a lifeless body on his back.

"You there, is that a villager?" He asked curiously, staring at the body laid over the guard's shoulders.

"No my chief, he's a hunter; poacher actually. We learned that he has been at it for years, and then he ran from us when we were making his arrest. He was crafty, but our lead guard got him. It happened shortly before the Night Fury attacked. In fact our captain was the first to be killed." Replied the guard shifting Ukiah over his back.

"Well now, isn't that interesting; and quiet timely. I was thinking of letting one of our champions having the honor of fighting a Night Fury, but I think we should let this poacher have one more hunt." Strogg said with an evil looking grin on his face. "Where were you putting him? In an arena dungeon?"

"Yes, my chief." Came a quick reply.

"Put him in the middle of the ring instead. Make sure he can't escape, and also…" looking at the dagger still strapped to the criminal's chest, added "Make sure he has all of his weapons with him. I think this will be an entertaining fight, thought I doubt this hunter will fair long against a Night Fury."

"Yes my chief, it will be done" the single guard replied, resuming his walk to the arena.

Strogg smiled evilly, watching the criminal be carried away. Though his arena was crisped, and his market center in tatters, the night proved to be a good night. Costly, yes; but he was going to be able to enjoy a relaxing afternoon of watching a fight between a dragon and a hunter take place.

* * *

"I told you Hiccup, I can't stand against Strogg! It's his Night Fury by all rights!" Stoick yelled "I may be Chief of Berk, but I have no power here to even ask for that!"

"I thought you and Strogg were friends! Why wouldn't he listen to you?" Hiccup asked loudly, frustrated that his dad wouldn't help him get the Night Fury. At this point, all three were in Hiccup's room, talking about what to do.

"It's not that simple, and you don't know a thing about Strogg and me." Stoick quickly shot back "There's a reason why I haven't told you about him. He's not the person he looks or acts like. He…he's different." Stoick went into a somber mood, putting both Hiccup and Astrid a little more on the edge. "He enjoys death son. He enjoys bloodshed."

"What do you mean?" Hiccup asked _cautiously_ , realizing that he may just touched a sensitive topic for his dad.

Stoick let out a sigh, closing his eyes as he reminisced. "I need to start at the beginning to really explain it. Before I married your mother, and when I was a little older than yourself, I was part of a Viking raiding party for a few months. We were tough, real tough. Even other Viking tribes didn't get in our way…except one." Stoick almost growled. "This Tribe were warriors by heart. In fact they were known for their skills at war more than farming or fishing."

"What was the island called? Hiccup asked quietly.

"I forget, its' been a long time since then." Stoick replied "Crack? Cres…something? Ugh, I forget. I just remember what it looked like. It was made of canyon lands, with lots of rocks and boulders. Hardly any vegetation other than the few fields that had water running through them. Anyways, this raiding party was where I first met Strogg. He was in charge of the band, and he liked me I guess because of how I could handle myself in battle." Stoick closed his eyes as he cast himself back in the memory "Strogg was always an ambitious man; he always wanted our raids to be the bigger and better than the last one. So he suggested that we attack this tribe to show the world who was best. We agreed to do so, thinking that we would just burn a building down or two, load our ship with food and loot. We wanted to do it to show the world who we were. However, Strogg was thinking something completely different; something that no Viking should think of, and hopefully, never will again." Stoick grimly said with his eyes narrowing.

Taking a moment to collect his thoughts, he then resumed his tale. "We started the raid in the twilight of the day, fighting tooth and nail with the defenders to just get an inch of ground. Soon, we were able to make a small push and break the line. We lost a lot of men in that fight if I recall correctly." Stoick said this time with a hint of anger behind his voice "Their houses were dug into the side of the cliff walls and canyons. Few buildings were even burnable; but we set fire to those that we could. Soon we had the entire village in flames with furniture and other items." Stoick said with regret in his voice. "I don't know how it happened; it felt like it went by so fast."

Turning to face Hiccup and Astrid, he continued. "After most of the battle was over, we were obviously tired and ready to sail away with what we looted. However, Strogg had acquired a murderous look in his eyes, and ordered us finish the rest of the job by killing the rest of the men, all the women, and the children left alive; which weren't that many to begin with." Stoick paused for a moment, letting the story sink into both Hiccup and Astrid. Seeing the somber look on their faces, he continued "I, along with most of the other Vikings, refused. We couldn't even comprehend doing that! He told us that he would leave us on that island if we didn't do what he ordered. I guess that was the last straw for us, because me, and the most of the group, grabbed the few survivors from the tribe and escorted them down to the ship. Strogg and his few men tried to fight us, but in the end couldn't do anything, but watch us take the ship and sail away."

"But you and Strogg acted like old buddies when we met him!" Hiccup pointed out. "If you left me on an island, I don't think I'd be calling you friend."

"Yes, that's true, but let me finish my story first." Stoick answered, reining in the anger that wanted to so badly come out. "We sailed here, to Thariin after the raid. A few days after landing, another ship docked. It was Strogg and the rest of his men, picked up by a trade ship. We confronted them on the docks to which he and his men kneeled to us and began to plead for forgiveness." Stoick shook his head as he remembered seeing them. "Strogg said that he knew what he did was wrong and that he would retire as a raider and warrior. While others forgave him, I could not. I accepted his request that he would stay and live in Thariin, but I couldn't forget the look in his eyes when we destroyed that village." Stoick finished solemnly. "I guess saying sorry just doesn't cut it for me" Turning to Hiccup and Astrid, he said "Now you know why I couldn't ask him for a favor like that. I won't do anything for him. I can't do anything for him."

"I'm sorry dad…" Hiccup said softly "I had no idea"

"No one did, that was the point." Stoick grimly replied "The group and I wanted the history of that island to be forgotten. Even the survivors wanted to forget everything. So much slaughter happened that day. The few that we took all let go of their traditions and tales, except for one woman; a young hand maiden. Can't remember her name or nothing, but she told us all, that she could never forget the day that they were killed. Murdered even." Stoick continued saying. "We wanted the story to die with us, but it looks like it will live on in another generation with you two."

Hiccup almost sighed with relief when the silence set in after story; it seemed to be the only thing that was comfortable at that point. The three continued to sit in silence, until Hiccup decided to say "I still have to help that Night Fury though…"

Stoick looked at him and said "I can't openly direct it to Strogg without defying him, but whatever you choose to do, I will support you."

"Thanks dad, I know you will." Hiccup said gratefully.

"I will say that it's odd that a Night Fury attacked by itself." Stoick mediated loudly, stroking his beard "Toothless usually attacked when other dragons are raiding, not just by himself."

"They also usually have blue plasma blasts." Hiccup added, folding his arms and staring at the ground in contemplation "But it's the second Night Fury we've ever encountered. I'm sure there's a lot we still don't know about them; even Toothless!" Looking up at his dad, he then whispered "I just don't know what to do to help it."

"I might have an idea" Astrid spoke up. It was the first time she said anything since Stoick returned to the Keep.

"What's that Astrid?" Stoick asked, a little curious at the sound of an idea. Of all the youth, Astrid was one that he respected; her, and now his son Hiccup.

"Well, he may know you," Astrid began to explain, gesturing to Stoick "but he doesn't know anything about Hiccup. All he knows about him, is that he's small and skinny; but also the victor over the Red Death."

"Yes and so does everyone else" Hiccup cynically responded, raising an eyebrow at Astrid "What's your idea supposed to be?"

"Quit interrupting and maybe I'll tell you." Astrid quickly shot back, glaring at Hiccup "Imagine when the great Hiccup asks the Chief of Thariin a favor, he will almost be expected to oblige to it! Because everyone will know that you went to him for help!" She exclaimed excitedly.

"Thor's beard…she may be on to something Hiccup!" Stoick exclaimed, seeing Astrid's plan. "You have more influence than I ever will!"

"But not everyone will hear me ask him!" Hiccup replied objectively "How will the village support me in my request?"

"Oh, yes they will," Astrid said grinning "because everyone is going to see the supposed execution of a Night Fury tomorrow."


	6. Chapter 6

_**Chapter Six**_

The sun beat down on Ukiah as he started to regain consciousness. His head was throbbing as if a hammer was pounding an anvil. Struggling to get himself up, his eyes fought to open themselves while his right hand held the back of his head, trying to quell the constant pounding in his head. He tried to look around which only brought a lightning bolt of pain down his neck through his back. Falling back down onto a stone floor, he focused on breathing as he rested for another minute. Feeling the pounding slowly fade, he groaned aloud "Wha-what happened?" He tried to cast his mind onto the last memory he had. It was night, and he was running…from what? What was he running from?

"Well lookie here," A voice rang out. It sounded as if it came from a distance away, as if from above. "It looks like our poacher here has finally decided to wake up!"

"What? What poacher?" Ukiah wondered as he tried a second time to raise his head.

"Did you hear about him?" another voice sounded "He gave us the slip when we were after him. Sneaky guy was on the roofs the entire time we were scouring the market place."

"Roofs? Oh, roofs!" Ukiah thought, putting the puzzle together. "That's right; I was running on the roofs to hide. I was hiding from…the guards!" Ukiah's head snapped up as he finished his thought, which sent another jolt of pain down his back. Fighting to not fall back down again, he was able to brace himself on one leg that he was able to plant on the ground. "Gah¸ where am I?" He asked as loud as he could, looking around as fast as his head would let him.

"Welcome to the Thariin Arena, poacher." A guard shouted with pride "The most feared place for people and dragons alike."

Another jolt of pain ran through Ukiah's body as his head raised up again and his eyes finally adjusting to the light. It was true! He found himself in the middle of the ring staring at the smooth stone walls all around him. "No, I can't be here…" Ukiah whispered in disbelief. But, as sure as the sun was sitting at high noon, he was there. Ukiah, slowly getting his balance back, surveyed his new surroundings.

With a 20 foot high, almost polished stone wall that made up the circle around him, and a chain-like net above him, the only way out was through a heavy metal gate on the south end of the circle. The release for the gate was a wheel and pulley system, and it was 10 feet back from the gate itself. He also saw a number of heavy wooded gates within the arena itself; leading into the walls.

"Must be the cages for the dragons" Ukiah muttered to himself, letting his eyes adjust to moving around.

On the east side of the arena, there was a single metal door. Next to it was a table with all sorts of weapons displayed on it.

"The door for the prisoners cages…" He informed himself.

"Better shake it off, poacher." One of the guards announced from on top of the ring "Your fight begins today when the sun begins to set!"

"I'm already fighting a dragon?!" Ukiah shouted in an outrage, doing his best to ignore the pain that was surging through his head.

"Boy, your quick." The guard replied sarcastically, a smug grin forming on his face "The dragon's fresh too. We caught it the same night we got you."

Thinking about the news of him fighting, Ukiah then asked "What dragon is it? A Nightmare?"

"Now then, that would be giving you an advantage now wouldn't it? What makes you so special to have a knowledge of what you fight beforehand?" The guard asked teasingly.

Realizing that it was useless to argue with the bored guard, Ukiah ignored him and walked slowly to the table arrayed with the different weapons laid out on it.

Upon arriving at the table, he saw not only a surplus of shields, axes, and hammers. He also saw his own collection of weapons on it as well. Comforted that he would at least be fighting with weapons that he's had, he picked up and inspected his dagger and crossbow. Finding them basically in the same condition he last remembered them in, minus the bolt being un-notched from his crossbow, he set them back on the table.

Suddenly, he heard loud creaking noise behind him. Ukiah turned around as fast as he could, to see two guards walk under the heavy metal gate that led out of the arena. One was carrying a pot and bucket of water, while the other one carried a giant hammer and shield.

"Get it while it's hot…it tastes better." Grumbled the guard, setting the pot and bucket on the ground next to the table.

Ukiah didn't say anything. He just stared at the guards, trying to make them uncomfortable on their own grounds.

Realizing that their prisoner wasn't going to say anything, the guards turned and began to walk out of the arena.

Ukiah had a sudden urge to make a dash for it, thinking about running in-between the guards to throw off their balance and give him a straight shot out. But looking on top of the gate, he saw two other guards almost expecting him to make the very move. On top of that, he was still recovering from waking up, and had barely made it to the table without falling down.

Giving up on the idea of trying to escape, Ukiah turned to the pot that was on the ground. It was a mess of some kind of stew; made up of carrots, onions, fish, and potatoes in a gravy-like mix. It smelt alright, but of course he knew he was a prisoner and wasn't going to receive anything decent. Picking up a different dagger from the table, he stared at the pot. Letting out a sigh, he then began spooning the food with the dagger. The taste was terrible, tasting old and bland; it even had a hint of mold in it. Stopping himself from gagging at the taste, he forced himself to swallow bite after bite of the mess.

Finishing the food, he threw the pot down with a loud clang. Trying to keep himself from throwing up, he fell down onto his knees and dropped his head in the bucket of water, inhaling as much water as he could to drown out the taste. Forced to come up for air, he coughed as he gulped a few deep breaths. Relaxing for a moment, he looked around and saw some of the guards laughing at him, while a few others stood by, silently watching. Angry that he was being treated as a form of entertainment to them, he then stood up and walked away from his meal. Even with the old food in him, he could feel more energy returning to him, which allowed him stand up without getting light headed. In fact, the pain had almost disappeared at this point and now his only concern was to rest and prepare himself mentally for the coming fight.

Sitting himself against the wall where shade was starting to form, Ukiah observed the arena in a little more detail. The arena itself was a wreck! It looked like someone set fire to it and then threw extra flame to the charcoals just for the fun of it. The bleacher seats were all burned down and crashed around the ring. Charcoal and ash were everywhere, even in the ring. Curiously though, there was a hefty amount of sand spread randomly throughout the arena, definitely being out of place. Ignoring the observation, he turned and observed the murals painted along the arena walls. It was amazing that the walls were as polished as they were. Running his hand through his hair, he saw small amounts of ash and sand fly out. Even he wasn't able to shelter himself from the ruins of the arena.

After studying the arena and watching the guard's patrol around, Ukiah finally drifted off into a resting sleep; which his aching body welcomed.

* * *

"Come on Hiccup! You can't be late for this!" Astrid shouted urgently, jogging up the path that led to the arena.

"I know Astrid, we've only been talking about this all day! But even if we walk, we'll get there long before the fight starts!" Hiccup called back, a little short of breath. "I haven't seen anyone ahead of us anyways!"

"But you need to be ready now, so that nothing will interrupt you when you make your request! Besides, people are starting to make their way as we speak!" Astrid replied impatiently, pointing to a crowd of people starting to head up the path that led to the arena

"I know I know…" Hiccup groaned, agreeing with Astrid, "I just hope this plan works…I need it to work."

"If not, it will buy us more time to be able to get the Night Fury free." Astrid said reassuringly "We'll improvise if we have to. Maybe you can train it in front of everyone? Show them that dragons aren't killers."

This made Hiccup relax a little. "I guess that would be worst case scenario." He thought "Doing that would give me a few allies as well. Hopefully."

Making their way to the entrance, one of the guards posted there stopped them. "Where are your parents?" He asked rigidly, scowling at the two.

"We're with Stoick the Vast" Astrid declared, her eyes narrowing. It was getting annoying being treated like a little kid, which made her think of what the Thariin kids their age were like.

"And we're guests of honor to Strogg the Stone." Hiccup threw in, knowing that they were invited by him.

The guard quickly changed his expression in realizing who the teenager was "I'm sorry that I've bothered you Hiccup! Please, just walk on in; your seats are on the north end of the arena. Shouldn't be too hard to find, as it's the end with the only chairs in the entire arena now." He said looking over the burned arena.

Forgiving and thanking the guard they walked in without any more disruptions. Stoick wasn't with them because he was going to be with Strogg. They wanted this plan to appear to be Hiccup's as much as possible, which meant to sever almost all connections between father and son, even before the event started.

"There!" Astrid said pointing to a spot that was near and above the gate that led to the arena; almost like a pedestal that he could stand on. "We'll have you announce it from there! Everyone would see you and more importantly, hear you from there!"

Hiccup inspected the spot Astrid designated, agreeing that it would be best to do it from that spot. With the seats for the Chief and the guests of honor almost exactly opposite from them, he would be noticed and heard; with nothing to hinder him.

"Now we just have to wait!" Astrid said excitedly, walking closer to the edge.

Smiling, Hiccup followed her to the edge as well, trying to make eye contact when he got there. But when he stood next to her, no matter how hard he tried to get her attention, she just stared down into the ring below as if in a trance.

"Astrid? Hello Astrid? What's up?" Hiccup asked, waving his hand in front of her.

Finally breaking out of her trance, Astrid looked at Hiccup with a shocked expression. Raising her hand, she pointed to the east side of the arena.

Hiccup followed where she was pointing. Seeing what Astrid was staring, he let out a small gasp of horror. It was a person sitting against the stone wall. It was Ukiah.

* * *

"I'm glad that you were able to join me, Stoick" Strogg said with a smile. Both he and Stoick were walking up a separate path to the arena that was designated only for the chief or special guests. "I hope that Astrid and your son, Hiccup, can join us soon."

"They made no promises, they said they were going to the market one more time to get a sword, then they were going to practice with them. They said it was different looking from our longswords; they said these were curved instead of straight." Stoick lied, looking at Strogg with a forced smile.

"Ah! I know what you're talking about, I have one myself. I don't really like it personally, but I can say I have one." Strogg replied "But it's good that your young ones realize the importance of having a knowledge of a blade or axe. The youth here are lazy; only wanting to run their parent's stalls, not increase their skills as a Viking." Strogg added with disappointment in his voice. "I still hope they come. I know if they stayed here, they'd be quite the example to the young ones throughout the village."

"Aye, they would be. And I also hope they come, but they are old enough to make their own choices; so I let them be." Stoick threw in.

"Of course! That is good that even so young, they can make decisions themselves." Strogg reaffirmed.

As they entered in through the archway, three men with decorated shields and war axes at the belt, stood there waiting for the two. "Stoick, I'd like you to meet my elite dragon champions!" Strogg boomed with pride. "Ugo, Harze, and Malke. All of them have defeated at least one of all the known dragons, from the Night Fury. And I guess the Red Death, which your son defeated."

Stoick made greetings with each one, acknowledging their accomplishments. They in turn gave respect to the chief of another island.

"They'll be joining us in our section." Strogg explained, resuming the walk through the hallway "I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all, I'm the guest here." Stoick answered, keeping up his fake smile.

Stopping at a door, Strogg asked the captain of the arena if everything was ready.

"Why are we stopping?" Stoick asked, confused that they didn't just walk on through.

"I'm waiting for the guards to announce that I am here. The fight officially starts when I sit in my chair." Strogg replied "Rules that I set when we built this to begin with."

"Ahh, I see…" Stoick acknowledged "You've really changed Thariin from when I last left it."

"I did. Took years to get to the top, but it is an accomplishment that I make sure everyone knows about." Strogg laughed, relishing in how he came to power. Turning to the lone captain, he asked "Captain, shall we begin?"

"Yes my chief!" the captain responded sharply.

* * *

"Vikings of Thariin! Please direct your attention to the north end of the arena! Strogg the Stone, the Chief of Thariin enters!" a voice boomed aloud.

Ukiah, up until this point, was calm and ready for whatever came. He had come up with a plan to be as defiant as possible to Strogg. Even if he died, he swore that he wouldn't give any type of satisfaction to the madman during his fight. Now with everyone staring at him and the event about to begin, he couldn't help but feel anxiety about the near future. Closing his eyes, he wished he was back at his cave. His home, with his only friend Arrow.

The crowd cheered as a giant of a Viking and four others walked in the arena above the north end of the ring. Ukiah stared at the four Vikings that took seats around Strogg, wondering who they were.

"Accompanied by the three Champions of Thariin: Ugo, Harze, and Malke." The announcer followed up with.

The crowd roared with approval, making Ukiah flash with anger, realizing they were probably all killers like Strogg.

"Also introducing, Stoick the Vast! Chief of Berk!" the voice boomed again.

Another cheer rang out among the crowd. "Great, I get a special guest to watch me die." Ukiah huffed angrily "Maybe I'll be remembered by him. Fat chance, he's probably like Strogg. If they're friends."

The announcer went off a bit on how great Thariin was and such. As he did, Ukiah began to prepare himself. Running through a checklist in his mind, he ignored the small headache that was lingering on, but the rest of his body was ready to go; plus the nasty taste of the food had disappeared, but that was probably due to the two buckets of water he drank. Overall, Ukiah was feeling pretty good considering what happened. He glanced over at the table with his weapons on it; one of the instructions for the contender was that he selected his weapons right before the fight started.

Then the announcer began to talk about Ukiah, bringing him out of his mental checklist. "Ukiah of Fallis Woods; has been charged with 3 years of poaching on the chiefs land, fleeing from guards, destruction of both public and private property, also with…." The announcer continued to drone on.

"Great, tell all the lies to everyone here. Perfect." Ukiah muttered. Truth was though, they weren't all lies. He did destroy a few stalls and such, but it was the picture they were painting of him that he hated.

"And now, the dragon! Located in the center cage!" The announcer shouted, bringing up a cheer from the crowd.

"Center cage huh?" Ukiah thought, focusing in on the massive wood and metal gate. "Definitely a Nightmare." He confirmed, judging the size of the doors.

"It is the dragon that attacked Thariin Village last night. Destroying multiple buildings in the village, responsible for the destruction of this very arena! It is the Night Fury!" The announcer yelled in his best tone to make everyone feel the excitement.

"What?!" Ukiah screamed in his head. "It can't be…No, it couldn't be; How?! It can't be Arrow!" Ukiah wanted to stab everyone that he saw cheering. They were pitting him against his only friend! "No! I won't do it!" He screamed in his head "I won't kill Arrow! I'll kill myself before I even aim my crossbow at him!"

"Chief Strogg the Stone, shall we commence with the fight?" The announcer asked.

With a wave of his hand, Strogg was about to allow the fight to proceed, but was interrupted by a single voice: "Wait!" The voice shouted from the south end of the arena.

All heads, including Ukiah's, turned to look. Ukiah couldn't believe it! It was the boy who he had sold the headband to! And the girl was standing next to him! "Don't stick up for me…it's not worth it…" Ukiah grimly whispered to himself.

"I am Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the III. I have a request to make to you, Chief Strogg the Stone." Hiccup yelled loudly.

Ukiah almost fell down! "This is Hiccup?! The dragon killer?" He puzzled over "He almost killed himself tripping over one of my pelts!"

"What is the meaning of this?" Thundered Strogg, who was standing up from his chair at this point.

Hiccup, doing his best to maintain his composure, continued to yell "I want to discuss the life of the Night Fury. I'm asking you to release it to me."

"You're in no place to make requests here!" Strogg roared back. Turning to Stoick, he asked "Are you allowing you son to do this?"

"He's making his own choice; it has nothing to do with me." Stoick calmly replied, acting confused at the interruption.

"Strogg the Stone, I do have a place to make this specific request! More than anyone else actually!" Hiccup stated "You see, it wasn't just me who destroyed the Red Death; I had a friend with me the entire time. And that friend's name is Toothless, also being a Night Fury! I trained him, and rode him when we defeated the Red Death!"

Taken back by the truth, Strogg quickly recovered and roared "And that gives you the right to own all the Night Furies in the world?"

"No! I'm simply asking you as a favor to release the Night Fury to me, a dragon trainer." Hiccup stated "Night Fury's are special to me, and I'd be very disappointed should you execute one when I know I can do much more with it." Taking a step forward, mainly due to Astrid pushing him a little, he added "That's how I plan to be an ally to you and the people of Thariin! I can ride a dragon and help defend your land when needed!"

By this time the crowd was starting to shout different kinds of things. It was obvious that Hiccup had a few supporters. The idea of having a dragon rider fighting for them appealed to almost everyone.

"I have one problem with your request Hiccup." Strogg growled menacingly, knowing that the crowd was starting to favor Hiccup, and would turn sour if he outright ignored the request. "You see, I still have a criminal that needs to be punished. So, I'll agree to give you the Night Fury, after he kills the criminal! That is the only thing that I will agree to, as giving you the Night Fury would also save that poacher's life! Take it or leave it!"

Hiccup's heart sank as he looked down at Ukiah. He was going to try to get Ukiah as well, saying that he would take the criminal off of his hands in payment. But Strogg gave him an ultimatum, and he was going to have to take it. Then an idea came to his mind. One that didn't necessarily solve the problem, but at least made him feel a little better. "I'll take the survivor." Hiccup answered loudly "If the dragon wins, I'll take it. If the criminal wins, I get him as collateral."

"Deal!" Strogg roared quickly, ending any future chances of debate. Then looking down on Ukiah, he growled "Get your gear boy, I want you to kill this dragon."


	7. Chapter 7

_**Chapter Seven**_

Ukiah's head was spinning, and not from the blow he took last night. It was from the fact that he met Hiccup without knowing it! On top of that, he had an interest in saving Arrow! Grateful that someone was willing to stick their neck out for his friend, Ukiah silently blessed Hiccup in the name of Odin. With the extreme change in events, his mind was made up. "I'm going to have to die to save Arrow. Not only will it save him, it'll be a spit in the face to Strogg the murderer." He thought resolutely to himself.

Looking at Strogg after being ordered to get his weapons, he so badly wanted to disgrace him in any way he could, at which an opportunity was presenting itself. Spinning around to face the table, Ukiah started to make his way to his gear.

Hiccup stared at Ukiah; he had no idea what he could do to help. "I'm sorry Ukiah, I'm so sorry." He whispered. He couldn't help but feel the same helpless feeling, when he watched Toothless crash into the tail of the Red Death while he was on him. There was nothing he could do.

Astrid was just as torn as Hiccup was. All she could do was stand next to Hiccup and support him in his decision. "Regardless, we get to save somebody, but on the same coin, we lose someone also." She thought to herself. Though Ukiah may have been a poacher, he was kind to them; she never saw him as someone who deserved to die. Besides that, he was someone that she was attracted to, a little bit anyways. The situation was tearing at her so bad, that the only way she could release some of the pressure building inside of her, was gripping the handle of her axe. If it were up to her, she'd try to fight Strogg to get Ukiah out, but she knew that would be impossible. Even if they could get him out, they'd still have to get him to the ship and sail out of Thariin. "Wish I had Stormfly with me…" She whispered quietly.

"I feel like I sent someone to the executioner." Hiccup said softly, pulling her attention to him "I feel so…empty."

"I know, I feel it too." Astrid replied sadly, but still tried to console him "But there was nothing else you could do, what you did was right! We couldn't get both of them, even if we had all the gold in the world! Strogg wants death! That's his only price!"

Hiccup, almost not hearing Astrid, continued to stare at Ukiah who reached the table at this point.

Upon arriving at the table, Ukiah slowly picked up his dagger and lifted it up to reflect the sunset in the sky. The blade looked like fire was built in it. This was it, this was the weapon he was going to use to end his life. Sighing heavily, he then sheathed it over his chest. He then reached for a javelin that was resting next to his quiver. Not like the spear he had at his cave, it didn't matter at this point. Sliding it smoothly into the strap on the back of his vest, he proceeded to strap the quiver to his hip.

Watching Ukiah prepare was killing Strogg. "Hurry it up!" he mumbled to himself, sliding down in his chair in a bored manner. Truth was, he wasn't even bored. He was furious with what just happened. "Hiccup wanting to take what I own, the nerve of the pup!" He thought so loud to himself, that he had to check to see if Stoick had heard him.

Ukiah finished strapping his quiver on, to which he turned and stared at Strogg with a hatred in his eyes. After trying to stare him down for a few seconds, he grabbed a bucket half full of water and walked to a pile of burned lumber at the side of the arena.

"Hurry it up!" Strogg shouted, standing up from his seat "Or I'll have the gate opened now!" That went sour with the crowd real fast, as they booed and shouted at Strogg. Defeated by his own people, Strogg slowly relaxed himself back into his chair; but not releasing the anger building inside of him.

Ukiah proceeded to stomp on some of the bigger charcoal pieces, turning it into a fine dust. Sweeping the black dust into a larger pile, he then poured a little water from the bucket. After mixing the water with the dust, Ukiah picked up a large amount of the black and grey paste. Staring at it, he then wiped it across his face at a diagonal, high left to low right. His traditional war paint. Standing up, and turning to face Strogg; Ukiah silently picked up his crossbow, notched it without taking his eyes off of him, and marched to the middle of the arena. What the crowd didn't know, was that the war paint was a statement to Strogg, not just a fun thing for him to do.

Stoick stood up after watching Ukiah apply the war paint. "Strogg, I'm afraid I can't be here, I need to leave." He said firmly, already turning to walk out. His mind was flashing images of when he faced off against a line of warriors on a beach. All of them had the same war paint; black, angled down from high left to low right.

Strogg, looking like he was staring at a ghost, slowly turned to watch Stoick leave "Yes, I think that would be best." He whispered, his heart thumping. Was this kid…part of that tribe? The one that he stamped out? Without saying another word, he let Stoick run out of the arena the way they came in, right through the back archway.

Ukiah stared at the gate, knowing Arrow was behind the massive doors. Kneeling down on one knee, getting his crossbow in a ready to fire position, he took a deep breath and said the words everyone was waiting to hear: "Open it."

The crowd exploded into shouting and cheering that took both Hiccup and Astrid off guard. The two watched in angst as the giant beam, acting as a bolt for the gate, started to slide to the right. They both leaned forward to make sure they wouldn't miss anything.

BANG! The gate doors were violently slammed open with a fiery sand spilling out of the room and onto the stone floor. A black and brown streak of a dragon flew out and into the chain net draped over, trying to get through the metal links. Everyone gasped at seeing the Night Fury, as it was the first time that anyone saw one. All except for a select few.

Realizing it was useless to fight against the chains, Arrow released an orange blast at a burned out section of seating, out of frustration and anger. The crowd of people nearby dove out of the way as the explosion tore apart the burnt remains. Not satisfied with the fireball burning what was left of the stand, Arrow turned his focus to inside the arena. To the dragon's surprise, he finally noticed a familiar face. Almost in disbelief, Arrow stopped struggling against the chain net and smoothly dropped onto the floor; looking at Ukiah with relief, he flashed his rows of teeth at him.

Ukiah's heart broke when he watched Arrow fighting the chain net; and as he watched his friend start walking towards him with a happy expression, he finally broke down into tears. Extending his left hand out to Arrow, he pointed his crossbow down at the ground. He wished Arrow would send a sand blast at him, just so that he wouldn't have to kill himself in front of his friend.

Arriving to Ukiah, Arrow ignored the extended hand and rammed his head against his friend's chest; growling with satisfaction, rubbing against Ukiah and pushing him back.

The crowd was in a profound silence, only to hear the occasional "What's he doing?" or "What's going on?"

Hiccup was totally in shock. All this time, he thought he was the first and only to even befriend a dragon! Not only that, but that was the dragon he saw that night a few days ago! He turned to Astrid, who was looking just as surprised as he was. "That's the dragon I saw! The spikes and the green eyes!"

"It does look like Toothless…he's built the same at least!" Astrid replied back, staring at the dragon with wide eyes "What is it?"

"I…I don't know." Hiccup whispered, not taking his eyes off the dragon. It was almost like a sharp Night Fury, colored brown and black! And with his experience with it, able to swim! "What are you?" He whispered again to himself.

Ukiah didn't do anything to stop the tears flowing. He just kept on scratching Arrow behind the ears and whispered "I'm so sorry friend…I'm so sorry." Arrow looked into his eyes as if to wonder what he was meaning.

"What are you doing? Fight! Kill it!" Strogg thundered in an outrage, while still standing from his chair.

Turning and facing Strogg with hatred and tears in his eyes, Ukiah roared back "This is Arrow, Strogg, and he's my only friend! I'm not going to let you take away that which means everything to me! You already took my family, my tribe, even my heritage! Don't deny it! You know exactly what I'm talking about!"

Strogg stared at Ukiah, anger vividly showing on his face. This kid knew his history; in fact he just confirmed his suspicions that he was part of his history! Strogg let his blood boil, as he thought he destroyed that tribe so long ago.

"I'm not going to give you what you want this time, even if it means that I die!" Ukiah continued to shout, his heart beating like a thousand drummers on a single drum. Saying this, Ukiah dropped the crossbow on the ground, drew his dagger, and raised it above him. Not wanting to look at Arrow before ending himself, he closed his eyes as he was about to bring the dagger down into his heart.

Wham! He was suddenly hit in the back, and sent sprawling. After rolling on the ground, Ukiah looked up to see that Arrow was growling at him with narrowed eyes. His dagger was sent spinning elsewhere, and he found it lying next to where Arrow stood.

"Arrow! No! I have to do this; it's the only way you can survive!" Ukiah yelled, picking himself up and running for his dagger. Arrow was faster and ran into Ukiah, ramming his head viciously against Ukiah's side and sending him flying again for a second time.

Recovering from rolling on the ground, he sat up and stared at Arrow with pleading in his eyes. "Please…" Ukiah begged "You have to let me do this! For both of us!"

Arrow must have understood, because he looked past Ukiah and glared up at Strogg.

Ukiah, turned to see what Arrow was looking at. Seeing Strogg sitting back down in his chair, he knew exactly what Arrow wanted to do.

"If I can't kill you, and you won't let me end myself… "Ukiah began to say, his voice growing louder for everyone to hear "We'll have to fight the person who put us in this position to begin with." Walking slowly to where his crossbow lay, he then let his hunting reflexes kick into gear. Picking up the crossbow, and whirling around in a split of a second, he aimed right at Strogg's heart and pulled the release.

If he hadn't had years of fighting under his belt, Strogg would have reacted a second too late. Seeing Ukiah draw a bead on him, he instantly shifted to the right, having the bolt that was shot from Ukiah's crossbow entering his shoulder and pinning him to his chair. "Get him!" Strogg shouted in pain, as his right hand put pressure on his shoulder "I want him alive!"

Immediately, guards rushed into the ring while brandishing their weapons and shields. At least two score guards were at the event, to which they all abandoned their posts and rushed into the arena by sliding through the net.

The crowd of people were running out of the arena in a panic, screaming at the top of their lungs as if the guards were after them. The panic of the crowd, the Night Fury or whatever it was, roaring, and the guards yelling at people to stand aside, created a pandemonium. The panic and hysteria in the air was almost hellish. Fortunately for Ukiah and Arrow, the panic slowed the amount of guards entering the arena.

Hiccup and Astrid were also trying to maneuver to the edge of the arena, to see how they could help them.

"Keep close!" Hiccup yelled to Astrid "We've got to see if we can help them!"

"I know that!" She yelled back, a little annoyed at the obvious statement.

Ukiah was unloading bolts at a rate he never thought was possible, and every single one made its mark. He and Arrow were fighting back to back with the table turned over for a little bit of added cover. At one point, one guard leapt over the table and landed in between Arrow and Ukiah. Ukiah drew a bolt from his quiver, spun around, and slashed it across the chest of the intruder. The guard stumbled at the strike, surprised at the speed of the slash. Ukiah refused to let up, as he drew his arm back and then thrust it forward, driving the bolt into the stomach of the guard. He never bothered to pull the bolt back out of the guard, but let him slump down against the table and cry out in pain. Another guard was running to leap over the table, to try and do the same thing. Seeing him come, Ukiah instantly raised his crossbow with one hand, aiming it straight at the charging guard, and sent the loaded bolt flying. The guard caught it in the chest, and launched backwards from the projectile.

Out of habit and muscle memory, he quickly reloaded the crossbow. He turned around in time to see Arrow swing his tail and literately sweep two guards off their feet, and flinging them into the arena's wall. "Good job friend!" Ukiah shouted, whirling around to cover Arrow's back. Three guards then dropped from the wall next to them, which Arrow instantly shot his sand blast into them. The three were thrown against the wall, causing them to slide onto the ground and not get back up; except for the middle guard, who was unlucky enough to be hit directly with the blast. There was no evidence of him being there, other than orange, burning sand.

Ukiah sent another bolt across the arena, catching a guard in the leg as he was falling down from edge of the arena. Sweating due to the stress, he again reloaded his crossbow. Every guard that he killed or crippled, two more would appear! Seeing one guard sprint at him head on, he raised his crossbow and aimed at the charging guard. Slam! A force hit him from his right. Landing roughly on the stone floor, he looked up to see that a guard had hit him with his shield; the guard smirked at Ukiah, knowing he surprised him. Out of reaction, Ukiah raised the crossbow and fired from the ground. The guard's smirk disappeared as a bolt seemed to grow out of his neck. Launching backwards, he fell onto his back dead.

Dropping the crossbow, Ukiah rolled onto his knees and drew his dagger. The blade sang through the air as it was pulled out of its sheath. Ukiah never fought with a dagger before, at least in combat like this. But now, he didn't have much of a choice. Guards were coming more frequent as the crowds dissipated, and he needed a way to hit fast. He wasn't focused on ending his enemy's lives, rather just removing them from the fight. Something came over him, making him lunge forward from his knees. He stuck his blade out and slashed the ankle of a guard charging at him. Rolling onto his feet, he quickly backed off from the approaching guards. His blade ready and raised, he waited for the next one to come after him. He had no idea what was happening, or how he was fighting with a dagger; but he felt like he knew how to! It was as if he had done it a hundred times before. The closest thing he had to a sword fight was when another hunter tried to take a deer he killed. Even then he just aimed his crossbow at the thief and told him to back off.

Two guards moved to his right, and a third to his left. Ukiah, oddly understanding what to do, stepped to the left to meet the lone guard. The guard swung his mace down at him, trying to push him back to the other two behind. Ukiah simply side stepped the strike, letting it fly by. Grabbing the arm of the guard to keep him exposed, he then drove the dagger into the side of the guard and then pulling it out like lightning. Letting the guard fall, he whirled around and stared at the two guards advancing on him. One had a spear and a shield, and the other simply had a sword. Gritting his teeth, Ukiah wished he hadn't left his crossbow on the ground.

The guard with the spear then thrust it forward, which Ukiah did another side step. He was always quick, but how was he able to know what to do?! Grabbing the extended spear, he then rammed the other butt end of it into the stomach of the guard, making him crumple over in pain. Not wasting the moment, he then dashed forward at the guard with the single sword. Seeing Ukiah come at him, the guard then did an upper cut slash to keep him away from the recovering guard. Ukiah barely rolled out of the way, hearing the sword whistle by. Completing the spin, he then leapt backwards as the guard swung the sword back down.

Barely landing on his feet, Ukiah then bounced forward, right before the guard could get the sword swinging back up. Ukiah watched the shock on the guards face as he drove the dagger into the exposed chest. Yanking out the dagger, he ran past the guard that was struggling to stay up on his feet. Running, he quickly picked up the crossbow that he left. Again, something came over him, almost like a sixth sense. Swinging the crossbow full force, he rotated around and smashed a guard in the face. How did he know that someone was behind him?! Whirling around, he saw a group of guards, about twelve of them, regroup at the end of the arena.

Arrow was busy as well; swinging his tail, he swept a number of guards off their feet again, and then head butting one that was trying to jump on him. Shifting his body to the left, Arrow shot out his wing, pounding two guards in the face, dropping them instantly as the spikes slashed across them. Suddenly, a weight dropped on his back. A guard had actually got on Arrow and was trying to pin him. The enraged dragon instantly began rolling on the ground, bending his head to try and get the bold Viking off his back. Making sure his spikes were puncturing his attacker, Arrow kept on flipping on his back. After the third roll, the Viking had enough and let go, to which Arrow quickly grabbed him with his mouth and throw him into two others. Swinging his tail again, making contact with a few more guards, Arrow roared challengingly, sending a small group of five guards backing off.

Hiccup and Astrid were amazed as they watched the two take on what seemed to them to be an army.

"Come on! Let's help them!" Astrid shouted, wanting to jump in and fight alongside. Poacher or not, Ukiah was someone that trained a dragon, and that automatically made her want to join the fray to help.

"No! I have a better idea." Hiccup promptly replied, turning around and jogging towards the gate that led to the arena "Let's get the gate open for them! Give them a way to escape!"

"Hmph" She growled, seeing that Hiccup's idea was better than what she was thinking "Fine, but when we get it open, let's help them out!"

Hiccup turned to her with a smile, saying "Fine, I guess I'll follow you're lead on that then."

"Come on, let's hurry and get it open then!" She said urgently, starting to move towards the gate entrance with Hiccup. With the guards busy with the rouge dragon and prisoner, the gate winch was completely un-guarded, making it easy for them to start raising it. Astrid stayed on defense, while Hiccup turned the wheel; struggling a little of course. Looking through the gate, he watched the two continue to fight.

Arrow just finished head-butting a guard, when four guards rushed him. He quickly tackled one of them that was in front of him. About to finish the guard, he felt the other three jump on top. Forgetting the guard he tackled, he roared in anger as he tried to roll, claw, and bite the three. As he kept on trying to throw the guards off, two more leapt on him. One slammed his head down onto the stone ground, and began to furiously wrap a rope around his mouth. Spikes or not, he couldn't get them off! Struggling to get back up, he was finally pinned completely.

"Arrow! No!" Ukiah roared angrily, watching Arrow get taken down. Seeing a single guard raise a sword, he quickly sprinted at the man, doing a somersault to dodge the strike. Rolling onto his feet, he ignored the guard and bolted towards the pile of men on top his friend. Just as he was about to drive his dagger into one of them, he felt something slam into him with the force of a large yak. "Gah!" He shouted, stunned completely at the blow and rag dolling across the ground. Gasping for breath, he struggled to get up onto his knees. "Aggh!" He cried out again, getting kicked in the side. Only able to roll onto his back, he looked up at the face of one of the Champions; Harze.

"Brat." Harze spat, watching Ukiah get hefted up by the vest by two guards. He was quickly stripped from his crossbow and javelin. His dagger was knocked out of his hand from being slammed. "You've doomed yourself and the dragon." At that, he slammed his shield into Ukiah's stomach.

"Gah! Aaaoooohhhh…"Bending over in pain, Ukiah coughed in pain. If he wasn't held up by two guards, he would have fallen over completely. "One of us was doomed before we even started this…" He hacked out, trying to suck air in "Guess we both decided to go out together."

"Leave me alone with the brat." Harze ordered, walking towards Ukiah "Get the wounded out of here. Take them through the prisoner's tunnels."

The guards promptly let go of Ukiah, letting him struggle to stand by himself. They then hustled to a few others who were moaning in pain.

Harze kicked Ukiah in the side a second time, toppling him over again. He then dropped his axe and kneeled down, pressing his knee into Ukiah's back and pulled on his hair; forcing him to look up. "Then watch your 'friend' die."

Forced to look, Ukiah stared at another Champion. It was Malke, and he was standing over the tied down Arrow. He had his axe raised over the dragon's head, smiling evilly at Ukiah. "No!" He screamed, trying to get out from under Harze. The knee dug deeper into his back, causing him to arch it even more. Believing that he was going to watch Arrow die, Ukiah stared with fear in his eyes. Not his friend. He couldn't let him die!

Malke's evil expression suddenly turned to horror, confusing both Ukiah and Harze. "Harze! Behind you!"

Harze immediately leapt forward, letting go of Ukiah. Completing the somersault, he whirled around and saw what Malke was warning him about. Standing next to Ukiah, helping him up, was a blonde haired girl. Her axe was sunk into the stone ground where Harze had Ukiah pinned.

"You…you helped me?" Ukiah breathed out, shocked at seeing the girl pull him up.

"Name's Astrid." She answered, pulling her axe up and readying it "Let's get your dragon back and then we'll talk."

Realizing he had an ally, Ukiah quickly scooped up Harze's axe and stood at the ready.

Harze and Malke also stood by each other. Harze kept his shield close to him, while Malke twirled his axe in one hand. Circling, both duos prepared to receive each other, knowing only one pair could win.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Chapter Eight**_

Strogg watched both pairs of fighters circle each other. The remaining guards in the arena started to move around Astrid and Ukiah, to which he called out "Leave them! I want everyone that isn't a Champion out of the arena. After all, we're here to watch a fight, right?"

The third Champion, Ugo, was busy patching Strogg's shoulder. Had Strogg been a normal sized Viking, the bolt would have done more damage. But due to Strogg's sheer size and muscle, the bolt was easily removed and didn't look like it did any permanent damage. "My chief, shall I accompany Harze and Malke?"

"No Ugo, we'll let them be." Strogg answered, relaxing in his chair for the first time since entering the arena "I feel this will be an entertaining fight. Interesting that the girl, Astrid threw herself in with the boy. Shame. I fancied her a lot; almost respected her."

Astrid checked her grip on her axe, gritting her teeth as Malke kept on staring at her. Harze and Ukiah were in their own staring contest as well; waiting to see who would be the first to strike. "Any ideas?" She growled.

"Just help me get to Arrow. If we can get him free, this fight will be a ton easier." Ukiah whispered, not wanting to tip off the Champions.

"Don't worry about that; already on top of it." Astrid whispered back, stopping in place.

Ukiah didn't have time to ask what she meant, as both Champions then charged the two. Astrid leapt backwards, raising her axe handle up and blocking a downward strike from Malke. Using the force from the strike to propel her, she slid on her feet backwards, putting more distance between him and her. She was at a disadvantage, as Malke had a shield. Knowing she was going to have to use her speed over him, she waited for him to charge her again, planning on countering or sidestepping the attack to try and give her an upper hand.

Ukiah charged at Harze, using both hands to swing the axe in a diagonal uppercut. Harze easily blocked the strike by swinging his shield down onto the oncoming axe head. Ukiah's fast feet then let him spin around Harze with the inertia of the counter, avoiding the strike from the shield and placing him directly behind the Champion. Harze then immediately shot his elbow backwards, making contact with Ukiah's chest. "Oof!" He coughed out. Launching backwards, Ukiah did his best to roll with the sudden force. Hitting the ground, he then rolled over on his side with the inertia, helping him get a little closer to be on his feet. Harze was already turned around and raising the shield over his head, ready to bring it down. Ukiah rolled away a second time, dodging the strike and putting him back on his feet.

By this time, both pairs were separated by the individual fights taking place. Astrid was still waiting for Malke to make a strike where he would open himself up. Malke knew what Astrid was trying to do, and was taking smaller swings, rather than large, powerful blows. Having dodged and redirected small strikes, she stared at Malke angrily as she kept on backing up. She couldn't get him to open up! Finally fed up with playing defensive, she roared angrily as Malke once again did a quick slash. Raising her axe above her head, she then brought it down as hard as she could. Malke easily blocked it with his shield; but the fury behind the swing caught him off guard. Crack! The axe had literately lopped off more than half of it! Splinters of wood flew everywhere! Malke barely had time to react, as Astrid kept on swinging in a fury. He couldn't even time his blows with hers to redirect them! Leaping backwards to put as much distance between him and the raging shield-maiden, he let a swing pass by and lifted his boot, planting it in her stomach; finally pushing her away. Shaking off the remnants of the shield that had remained strapped to his arm, he cried out "Who in the God's name are you little thunder?!"

Scrambling to her feet, Astrid gripped her axe even tighter and shouted "My name's Astrid Hofferson! And I'm a Berkian warrior!" With that, she again charged the now shield-less Champion, knowing she evened the playing field; perhaps even giving herself the advantage. Swinging her axe this way and that, she kept on pushing Malke farther and farther back. He couldn't do anything but attempt to redirect the blows, as her axe was larger than his.

Ukiah side jumped a strike from Harze's shield. He had no way to block the attacks; plus he never fought with an axe before, or at least he didn't feel the same confidence when he had his dagger. Clenching his teeth, he circled around Harze, who was also being methodical. Then he saw it. His dagger lying on the ground behind Harze. Not wanting to give away his plan, Ukiah roared and swung the axe as hard as he could upwards. Harze saw the strike coming, and swung his shield down, making contact with the axe head. The force from the strike caused Ukiah to let go of the axe. With it clanging against the ground, Harze grabbed Ukiah by the vest with his free hand and threw him around. Rolling on the ground, he finally stopped. Though not his original intention on how to get to it, he found himself right next to his dagger. Gripping it, he then readied himself and watched Harze pick up his axe, giving it a few swings to warm up his sword arm.

"I'll admit, brat. You fight well for a poacher. You're quick on your feet." Harze sneered at Ukiah, readying his shield and axe. Walking in a wide circle, he continued to taunt "But nothing more. You cannot win, criminal."

"Said the heartless killer." Ukiah spat back, his eyes narrowing "You talk a lot for being a person who watches death for pleasure."

"I fight and kill the cold hearted creatures that attack and kill us back!" Harze roared, flashing his shield that had a slain Nightmare painted on it "While you fight for them!"

"I can't recall a time Arrow tried to kill me." Ukiah shouted back "You and your guards are the only ones that have! So who's the cold hearted creature?!"

"Enough!" Harze barked, ending the conversation.

Ukiah saw an opportunity start to present itself. A risk, especially since he just barely got his dagger; but for some reason, he knew he could do it.

"This ends with you dying for them!" Harze ranted. Holding his arms out as if to welcome Ukiah, he finished saying "Come poacher. Come and face your en-"

His sentence was cut short. Staring at Ukiah with confusion, hate, and anger; he slowly looked down at his chest. A dagger had buried itself where his heart was, up to the handle. Before he could even register what had happened, Ukiah charged him with a drawn crossbow bolt in his hand. Leaping into the air, he drove it into the side of Harze's neck.

The champion fell backwards from the blow. Crashing onto the ground, he lay there dead.

Ukiah stood there, breathing heavily and registering what happened. A roar sounded to his left, it being Malke who watched his friend be killed. Whirling around, he saw him grab Astrid's axe handle and push her over; knocking her down. Ignoring Astrid, he charged Ukiah with his axe raised above his head.

Ukiah knelt down as fast as he could, pulling the dagger out of Harze's chest. Still crouched, he knew it was too late to try and counter the charge. Leaping to the left, he felt his right forearm get hit, and then it started stinging, leading to a growing pain that seemed swell throughout his entire arm. Finishing the roll, he stood up and felt his grip on the dagger loosening in his hand. The odd thing was, was that he couldn't get himself to tighten it. Looking down at his arm, he stared at the gauntlet wrappings in tatters. Blood was dripping off the slashed straps dangling from his forearm, and his hand was slow to respond.

"You'll die now!" Malke roared, kicking the dazed Ukiah in the chest.

Landing roughly on his back, Ukiah looked up and saw Malke's axe already coming down. Time slowed down for him to where it was almost halted. For a moment, nothing seemed to happen; but slowly a shadow started to emerge. Coming from the right side of Malke, the shadow's form turned into a familiar shape. It was Arrow.

Time resumed as Arrow slammed into Malke, knocking him to the ground. Using his claws and teeth, he slashed and tore violently at the champion, roaring angrily for attacking Ukiah. And for trying to kill him earlier

Sitting himself up, Ukiah felt himself pulled up by his left arm. Turning, he saw that it was Hiccup who was helping stand him up.

"I finished cutting your friend loose while you were busy with…them." Hiccup said, pointing to Harze and Malke; who Arrow stopped slashing and left him where he was. The slashes all over his body had rendered him to nothing than a cut up, fallen soldier; making no effort to get up. He looked like he was living his last moments on his back.

"Uhh…thanks." Ukiah whispered, staring at Arrow who was now sniffing his bleeding arm. His piercing green eyes looked up at him, making sure he would be ok."

"I'll be fine friend. I've had worse." He smiled, wincing in pain as Arrow bumped it.

"Hey! Sorry to interrupt whatever moment you guys are having, but we need to get out of here!" Astrid shouted, running up to the two. Gesturing to his arm, she asked Ukiah "You gonna be ok?"

"Errggh, yeah. I think I will at least." He grunted, switching the dagger from his right hand to his left. "Don't need my arm to run."

"Great! Let's go!" She shouted, whirling around and running to the gate.

Strogg stared in disbelief. Harze and Malke fell to two kids! Well, two kids and a dragon. Seeing them run out of the arena, he shouted "Stop them! I want them all alive! If you kill one of them, you will be used in their place!"

"Yes my chief!" a unified voice rang out, mostly out of fear.

Rushing through the exit, it didn't take long before the three and Arrow were running through the main archway and heading down the path with the remaining guards hot on their heels.

"Where's your dad?" Astrid yelled frantically, turning around to see the guards chasing them.

"I don't know! I thought he was with Strogg all this time, but I didn't see him when we were in the arena!" Hiccup replied, equally frenzied with the situation.

"Not the time to be worried about that; whole new group of guards heading up our way!" Ukiah yelled, gesturing to a small crowd of Vikings marching up the path towards them.

Preparing for another big fight, both Hiccup and Astrid drew their weapons, while Ukiah gripped the dagger in his left hand, worried how he was going to fight with his weaker side. Arrow growled menacingly, his green eyes narrowing and his razor like teeth bared. He waited for the Vikings got closer.

"Wait, hold on a minute…I think…that's…that's dad!" Hiccup yelled in surprise "It is! It's my dad!"

Back in the arena, when Stoick saw the war paint on Ukiah's face, he went into a flash back. Almost two decades ago, on a forgotten island. He and his fellow Viking raiders were charging against a line of Viking warriors, all having the same black war paint, at a diagonal on their faces. Just from seeing Ukiah's war paint, Stoick knew that he was a decedent from that tribe; and to try make up for the mistake he made, he ran back to the Keep to get the crew.

The entire trip, Stoick was trying not to offend Strogg in anyway, but seeing Ukiah in the ring was the final straw. Arming most of his crew, he left the very minimum men required to operate the ship. While he and the rest were going to take the arena by force, the others on the ship were going to get it ready, so they could leave as soon as they got on.

"Hiccup! Is that you?" Stoick thundered, getting closer to them.

"Dad! We need to get out of here, we're being chased!" Hiccup yelled desperately.

"Run to the ship! We'll hold them off!" Stoick ordered.

Ukiah had a better idea, turning around, he yelled "Arrow! Blast the pathway!"

Arrow whirled around and fired a sand blast. The orange fireball exploded, leaving behind burning sand along the trail. The guards stopped, unable to traverse through the burning ground.

"That'll keep them back for a little bit!" Ukiah shouted, turning to face Stoick and sheathing his dagger. Grimacing, he looked down at his bleeding arm, knowing it was going to be slowing him down a bit.

"The dragon!? What's he doing here?" Stoick said, staring at Arrow. Shaking his head, he then returned to the current situation "Fine! Get moving!"

The entire group began to sprint to the ship which was still a good ten minute run. On the way, Stoick explained the plan to Hiccup, Astrid, and Ukiah. "As soon as we all get on that ship, it'll be ready to sail to Berk."

"Berk!" Ukiah thought a little alarmed at this. He was planning on splitting off from the group when they got on the ship. Have them drop him off on the shoreline. He didn't want them to be hunted down because of him! Thinking a little bit, he then concluded "Well I guess I don't really have a choice. If I stay here, even in my little cave, that'll almost be suicide! Plus, Hiccup's and Astrid's actions in helping me escape, would be just like telling Strogg in the face that they were going to fight him. He's going to chase them no matter what! I can't leave them, knowing Strogg's going to chase them anyways!" looking at Arrow, who was right next to him, he whispered "I hope you're ok with that."

Looking back behind them, Ukiah saw the guards had finally broke through the wall of fire. Seeing Stoick's group about a half mile ahead, and making their way to the docks; it wasn't long before they figured out what Stoick's group were trying to do, and went sprinting to catch up with them.

Ukiah at this point, was worn out. After being chased through the local streets last night, being knocked out, trying to kill himself, fighting two scores of guards, getting beat up, fighting a Champion of Thariin, bleeding through his arm, and then being chased AGAIN through the local streets; he was really feeling it all catch up to him; and it was beginning to show. His pace was getting significantly slower than the others and his breaths were a lot shorter.

"Ukiah, what's wrong?" Astrid asked, noticing him starting to lag behind.

"It's nothing, just getting, agh, a little tired." Ukiah huffed breathlessly. "I'll be alright."

"Come on!" Stoick urged "Only a little bit further and we'll be in the docks!"

With this new push; Ukiah forced his legs into overtime, which helped his pace increase enough to run with the group. Onlookers of villagers stared as the group of Berkians ran through their streets, with a dragon following them. The dragon scared most of them into hiding behind their stalls and into houses. Upon arriving at the docks, Ukiah collapsed onto his hands and knees, gasping for air. His body was begging for just a few moments of rest.

"Come on boy! We've got to keep moving! We're almost there!" Stoick yelled, turning around to see Ukiah struggle to stand up.

Ukiah looked up to see Hiccup run to him, helping him on to his feet. "I'll run with you." He said gently, and the two of them began to head down the dock that the ship was at. Astrid was just ahead of them, holding her axe at the ready, just in case a random guard might try to stop the two.

The guards by now had entered the docks and spotted Hiccup and Ukiah immediately; and then proceeded to chase them down, shouting that they found them.

Ukiah turned to see the guards closing in on them. "I'm slowing Hiccup down; I'm slowing down the entire crew!" He thought in alarm. Coming up with another one of his off the cuff ideas, Ukiah turned to Hiccup and asked "Thanks for helping me Hiccup, but can you do one thing for me?"

"Depends, I'm kind of busy at the moment" Hiccup grunted sarcastically, while supporting Ukiah's left side.

"Get the ship as close as you can to that dock" Ukiah said pointing to another dock, parallel to the one the ship was moored at "That's all I ask!"

Caught off guard by the request, Hiccup felt himself being pushed forward. Turning around, he watched Ukiah turn and run down on another dock. Arrow was following closely, not leaving his friend. "Ukiah!" He yelled. There was nothing he could do, because the guards were closing in on him as well. Whirling around, he sprinted as fast as he could for the ship.

Ukiah, seeing that he drew most of the guards with him, saw Hiccup being chased by a few stragglers. Pointing to the dock that Hiccup was running on, he shouted "Blast that dock, Arrow!"

Arrow whirled around and fired another sand blast, hitting where Ukiah pointed at. The single explosion broke the dock that the Berk ship was attached to, becoming essentially a drifting island in the harbor, but also stopping the guards from chasing Hiccup.

Hiccup was knocked over by the explosion. Crashing on the dock, he began to crawl back onto his feet when Astrid grabbed him. "Let's go! Ukiah's buying us time, don't waste it!"

At those words, Hiccup stood up and bolted to the ship, actually running faster than Astrid! Jumping on board, he yelled "Bring the ship as close as you can to that dock over there! Ukiah's counting on us!"

Without questioning his son, Stoick ordered "Hard to starboard!" Swinging the ship towards the other dock.

Ukiah was running as fast as he could. Breathing a lot heavier and forcing his exhausted legs to keep moving, he fought the battle of fatigue as he turned down the dock he asked Hiccup to get the ship near.

"Get him! He's running at a dead end!" A guard shouted from behind.

Breathing to try to energize his limbs, he watched the Berkian ship sail closer. Focusing on it, as it was now moving dangerously close to the dock, he chased after it, trying to catch up to the ship. He knew he was tired, but didn't realize how tired he was until he saw that the ship was moving faster than he could run!

The entire crew of the ship were yelling at him to hurry and jump on! Hiccup and Astrid were the loudest of them all. They watched helplessly as the ship began to pull away from Ukiah.

Almost able to hear the guard's footsteps behind him, Ukiah closed his eyes and was about to give up. He couldn't run anymore. He couldn't! Wham! Something hoisted him into the air. His eyes now wide open, he stared at the water below as he began to fly. Looking up, he saw Arrow had grabbed his arms and picked him up! "Arrow…" He huffed out, both in relief and pain. His arm now had a jerking pain, as being lifted in the air didn't help the slash he acquired.

Being gently set down on the deck, he watched Arrow fly ahead of the ship and out of the port. Collapsing on the deck, he heard Stoick's loud voice shout: "Set the sails to carry us like the speed of the wind!"

Astrid and Hiccup ran over and picked Ukiah up, being careful with his arm that was bleeding profusely now "Are you all right Ukiah?" They asked simultaneously.

Ukiah looked over himself and seeing his slashed arm bleeding even more so, replied with a small, sarcastic smile "I've been better."

Kind of walking, mostly carrying Ukiah to a crate, the two sat him down softly on a crate.

Looking up at Stoick who was busy giving orders, Ukiah silently thanked him for taking him and his friend, Arrow, away from being executed. His arm suddenly lit up with lightning like pain, making him flinch vividly. Looking at his arm, he saw that Astrid was trying her hardest to clean the all the blood without hurting him. "Thank you…" He whispered, a smile growing on his face. How lucky was he? The girl that he had a crush on was helping take care of him! Shoot, she helped fight with him!

"Just toughen up and relax." Astrid huffed, flashing a quick smile at him before returning her attention to the slashed arm.

Hiccup was busy grabbing Ukiah's gear, unstrapping his quiver and his dagger. Staring at the quiver, it hit him! He left his crossbow at the arena! Heartbroken, Ukiah let out a long groan, leaning back against the ship. No sooner had he done this, a sailor yelled the words that Ukiah had learned to love. "Night Fury!"

The crew stopped whatever they were doing and looked up to see Arrow, who had just landed in the middle of the ship, make way to Ukiah. He dropped a mouthful of fish at his feet, and looked at him with worry. Almost whimpering, Arrow nuzzled against Ukiah's chest, as if he was re-assuring Ukiah that he would be ok.

Laughing softly, Ukiah raised his good arm and rested his hand on Arrow's spikey head, whispering "Glad you made it too! It was all worth it then…" Then with the combination of severe fatigue, intense pain, and blood loss, the world began to black out to Ukiah; which he later swore that it was death itself, visiting him.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Chapter Nine**_

Ukiah found himself standing in shallow water next to the shore of an island with the sun barely rising over the sea behind him, hearing nothing but the waves roll onto the beach. The beach in front of him wasn't like the ones in Thariin, where it was sandy, with grass and trees on the upper plains. It was rocky; almost a rugged terrain, and hardly any vegetation.

Wondering where he was, he gazed around where he was standing. It looked deserted; nothing was there. It was peaceful. Taking a moment to soak in the feeling, he relished in it as it was something he never really felt before.

Beginning to walk to a canyon that seemed to have some kind of object there, he continued to look around to see if he could find anyone. Nothing showed any evidence that he was on an island with a village; until he looked down. He noticed that he was walking on an abandoned road, completely overgrown with grass and weeds that shot through the gaps between the stones.

Arriving to the object he spotted, he was surprised to see it was a statue. A broken, worn looking statue. He could make out carved armor and the hand holding a shield. Other than that, it looked like it had seen better years. Its head was missing, as was the other arm. Dead brush littered the area nearby. Then it hit him, he was standing in an abandoned village square. Instead of log buildings, the doorways were carved into the cliff walls. Stone steps led to the other floors up the canyon walls, which were sheer cliffs on both sides.

Interested in learning where he was, he walked inside one of the rooms; having pushed a collection of dead bushes out of the way. He didn't know why, but he felt something beckoning him to come inside. Taking a deep breath, he stepped into the abandoned room.

Walking into the center of the room, he paused for a second. He felt the peaceful feeling burn even more so. "Where am I?" He asked aloud, not really expecting an answer. After looking around in the single room, he turned around and froze at what he saw. A skeleton lying in the dirt, half buried and next to the doorway he walked through. A single, rusted sword lay by the skeleton, telling the story of what had happened.

Feeling a sense of sadness begin to wash over, he stepped closer to get a better look. But no matter how many steps he took, he seemed to get farther away from the skeleton. Noticing this, he then saw his surroundings were beginning to look twisted and compressed. Scared, he frantically looked around the room. The world was starting to go black again.

"No, not again!" Ukiah cried out desperately, falling to his knees with his hands over his head; as if trying to prevent himself from passing out. Regardless how hard he tried to fight it, the darkness overcame him and he fell back into another deep sleep.

* * *

Thunder crashed over Thariin Village, as another storm moved over the immense village. Up in the Keep, were Strogg and his two remaining champions, Ugo and Malke.

Malke was bandaged up, having suffered immensely at the claws and teeth of the dragon named Arrow. His face was scarred, and his right arm resting in a sling. He was lucky to be alive, having lost an immense amount of blood. Fortunately, he recovered enough to be able to walk, well, more of a hobble.

Limping behind Ugo, he watched his leader warily, not wanting to be close by. They had just finished a mourning ceremony in the court yard for Harze, the second champion of Thariin. The ceremony had put Strogg's mood to be...unfavorable, put nicely.

Walking in the dimly lit hallway towards his throne room, Strogg was looking for anything to kill. One guard earlier, had accidently tripped in front of him while on patrol. If it weren't for all the other guards and the champions calling out to stop Strogg, the guard would have met a miserable end.

Upon reaching the Throne Room, Ugo and Malke stayed near the doorway just in case. Strogg on the other hand walked up to a table littered with food, and flipped it in rage. Staring at the mess he had just made for a few seconds, which felt like an eternity for those watching, he finally turned and walked slowly to his throne, sitting down as he arrived to it. On cue, the servants in the room made short work of the flipped table. In no time at all, it was already cleaned up and a new table cloth was put on, ready to receive more food.

"Ugo, Malke, come here…" Strogg called out tiredly, but still had a hint of anger in his voice.

Walking up to Strogg, the two champions kneeled before him.

"Rise." Strogg instructed with a bored tone "I have a request to make for the two of you."

"Anything my chief" replied Ugo, relived that the pressure was beginning to leave the room.

"Aye, tell us to get the ships ready and we'll be on our way to Berk by sunrise!" Malke chimed in.

"No Malke, You're staying here to help me prepare. And to recover. I want Ugo for my first task. And honestly, I can care less about Stoick and the others; they were only pawns really." Strogg answered, pondering on something "I want Ukiah. It was because of him that Harze is dead, you were almost killed, and the Berk Vikings took up arms against us. Not to mention that he was the only one to openly attack me."

Ugo had a question pop into his head as he listened to his chief. "Why did Stoick and his crew help Ukiah and the dragon escape in the first place?" He asked.

"A fair question, Ugo." Strogg replied thoughtfully, his hand stroking his beard. "I'll...answer it the best that I can. You see, Stoick and I have a history that we share; not a glamorous one by any means, but a necessary one. So we both decided to keep it in the dark, because we thought no one else would be…affected by it. However, Ukiah was directly affected by us, and we had no idea about him. My guess is that Stoick wanted to…" Strogg thought for a minute to think of a way to convey the message without openly conveying it. "Repay him."

Confused at his answer, Ugo decided to drop the subject.

"Very well my chief" Malke spoke up, limping to Strogg "What can I do? Prepare a small fleet to go directly to Berk?"

"No." Strogg replied quickly "You're going to rest. Recover. You're lucky to be alive, and we all know it. I'll prepare our fleet depending on what news Ugo brings, though I doubt we'll have to. Ugo. Take the Water Cutter, my personal ship; it's the fastest ship to sail these waters. Catch up to Stoick and give him my terms. Tell him that I'll forgive him of his, and his tribe's trespasses against me; if and only if, Ukiah is surrendered to me."

"Yes my chief, and if they say no?" Ugo asked, raising an eyebrow.

"He's a man of reason; he'll see what's best." Strogg answered confidently "Now go! I know they're making great speed to get home."

Kneeling, Ugo turned and at a quick pace and exited the room. Malke also left the room, though a lot more slowly and tenderly.

Strogg turned to look out of a window, watching the rain fall, pondering the past few days. As well as what the future would bring.

* * *

Ukiah slowly opened his eyes, finding himself in a hammock. Looking around from where he was laying, he saw that he was in a small room, a closet almost. There was a small round window in the wall to his right, letting a blinding ray of light in. Even more confused than before, he rested his head in the hammock, closing his eyes while trying to piece together what happened. The stagnant air didn't help him wake up either. It was almost suffocating.

Last he recalled was that he was staring at Arrow, trying his best to rub his head. Astrid and Hiccup were helping him get his gear off and cleaning him up as best they could. Then he was on an island. Or a land. Somewhere. Thinking about that made his head spin again. Where did he go? Was it a dream? It had to be. Lightly shaking his head, if it was a dream, it was the most real one he had.

Realizing that he didn't have any of his gear on, he looked down at himself. His body was bruised all over, with evidence of dry blood on him. His arm was tightly bound with a white bandage. Good news was that he was had feeling in his hand return, and was able to open and close it at will. Someone had taken his hunting vest off, leaving him shirtless. He was wearing some type of shorts with a leather belt keeping them on. His leather pants and boots were next to the door, hanging by a peg.

Grunting, he slowly swung his legs from the hammock. Trying to get up onto his feet, he felt himself getting light headed just from that small effort to move. Forced to sit back down in the hammock, he took a moment to rest. The room wasn't helping either with it being stuffy and slightly moving up and down.

"Up and down? Why's it doing that?" Ukiah thought, thinking of the past for a bit, he finally had his mind register what had happened "That's right." He whispered to himself "I got dropped onto the ship! That's where I am..."

It all made sense. The hammock, the small room, the round window in the wall; Ukiah was on the Berk ship! At this thought, he reviewed the nightmare that he lived through, making him settle more into his hammock. Then there was that dream, at least what he thought was a dream. Why did he dream of a random place?

Deciding not to worry about it at that point, Ukiah reviewed in his mind about those who helped him in the recent past. "I was saved; saved by people who didn't even know me." He whispered, turning his thoughts to Astrid saving his life from Harze, and then fighting alongside him. Then Hiccup who freed Arrow, and helped Ukiah run away from the guards, even when he was slowing him down. And then Stoick, the man who defied possibly the most powerful Viking chief in the known land, just to save a teenager who played no role in his life. Thinking of these three people made him realize how lucky he was. "And of course Arrow!" Ukiah said aloud to himself, slightly chuckling. "I'd be nowhere without him."

The noise of something being dragged on the floor above him caught his attention. Not sure what it was, Ukiah made another effort to the door, only able to make it to a crate next to it. Resting on it for another second, he began pulling his boots on one at a time. After succeeding at that task, he took a few deep breaths, while trying to muster what strength he had. Standing up slowly, he reached for the handle of the door.

Walking was harder than he expected, with hunger registering in his mind and his ability to cope with the constant moving up and down of the ship. He hobbled into a main room, laid out with hammocks all over. To his right were stairs that led to an opening. Limping slowly up the steps, bracing himself against the wall, he very slowly made way to outside of the ship.

The sun was blinding, as he stepped out onto the deck. After his eyes adjusted, he looked around and saw the crewmen busy with their tasks, seagulls flying in a clear blue sky around the ship, and an endless sea all around him. Walking slowly to the side of the ship, Ukiah leaned against the railing, breathing the salty air in. He was feeling better already with the fresh air.

"It's Ukiah! He's awake!" A voice called behind him.

A low mumble was heard as a crowd gathered around him. Astrid and Hiccup fought to get in front, slightly stumbling in front of him.

"Ukiah! How do you feel?" Hiccup asked anxiously.

"Eh honestly I feel tired, weak, hungry," Ukiah listed, and then with a mischievous grin added "alive." which caused a small chuckle throughout the group.

Almost immediately a plate of fresh, cooked fish was set on Ukiah's lap as he was forced to sit down on a crate. Bombarded with questions, Ukiah felt a little overwhelmed by the sudden change of attention, almost like the arena; making him a little uneasy.

"Everyone, Everyone!" A voice boomed behind the crowd. "Do you think the ship will sail itself? Get back to your posts! Leave the poor boy be, he's only been awake for a few minutes for the first time in days! Give him some room!" It was Stoick, pushing crew members aside.

"Looks like I have to thank you for few more things now." Ukiah began to say, looking up at Stoick with a weak smile "Helping me eat in peace, letting me sleep for who knows how long on your ship, taking me from Thariin anyways, and coming up with an armed crew to help me in the first place. Thank you."

"Just eat the food; who knows what will happen now with your luck." Stoick replied firmly, yet in a friendly way "You'll be a lot more help when you actually have strength."

"Yes sir!" Ukiah answered, turning his complete attention to the plate.

Last thing he remembered eating, was old rotten stew, in a pot that was probably used to water the dragons in the arena. The fish given to him was delicious, a complete contrast of the stew. Just the smell seemed to almost re-energize him.

Hiccup and Astrid each pulled a crate and sat with him as he ate.

"How long was I out?" Ukiah asked, while stuffing a mouthful of food in him.

"A long time, three days actually" Astrid answered, pulling out her axe and starting to sharpen it with a stone. "Honestly, we swore that you were dead a few times when we took off your gear and clothes to patch you up."

Recalling the feeling he had before he passed out, Ukiah acknowledged the comment, saying "I'm willing to bet that I did. It felt like it when I passed out."

Hiccup pulled something out of a pouch that was strapped to his side. "Here, we tried to save it the best we could, but it took quite a beating." Hiccup said handing Ukiah what was left of his quiver. Completely in tatters, it was torn down the side of it, rendered useless.

Holding the quiver in one hand, Ukiah stared at it. The leather was cracking as well. It was beyond repair. Sighing, Ukiah tossed it over the edge of the ship. "It's alright. It's no use to me anymore anyways. I left my crossbow back at Thariin, so none of my bolts will be good anymore." Saying it with a little pain in his voice, mixed by the sudden movement of tossing the quiver and the memory of leaving his crossbow.

"Oh no, I'm sorry!" Hiccup stated, looking like he might have offended Ukiah.

"Heh, it's all good. If that's the only casualty we have, I'll be fine." Ukiah replied with a shrug, trying to hide the disappointment in his voice.

"Couldn't you make him one Hiccup?" Astrid asked, turning to look at him with confusion "I mean the crossbow. Have you done one before?"

This caught Ukiah's attention real quick.

"Uh, well…yes and no, I can make the arms and the mechanism for one, but I can't really form the actual body of it, or set it the pieces in place." Hiccup stated, a little embarrassed at this sudden change of attention and his answer.

"Oh, well, maybe I can help. You know, to set it in. I don't have any experience with making weapons, but I can tell when they're set right." Ukiah suggested, a little dejected.

"I bet that would work, but honestly Gobber would be better to go to. He's the one that taught me how to smith." Hiccup said also a little disappointed that he couldn't do what Ukiah needed.

Ukiah relaxed a little bit at this news. He lost his old crossbow, but there was a chance that he would be able to get another one. At least he hoped he could get another one.

A roar suddenly sounded. Looking up, Ukiah gave a whoop of happiness and surprise as he saw Arrow almost dive right into the ship, pulling up at the last second.

"Arrow! It's so good to see you alive and well!" Ukiah cried out, relieved to see his friend. Seeing Arrow seemed to boost his health.

Arrow pushed his head into Ukiah's chest and then laid it down on his lap, happy to see his friend as well. Seeing the plate, he then snuck a fish off of it.

Laughing, Ukiah said "Alright, you can have that one." Patting his head softly "Just don't give it back, ok?"

"He's one smart dragon." Hiccup said admirably "Reminds me of Toothless."

Ukiah forgot about that, that Hiccup had a Night Fury as well. "Oh yeah! You said that you were friends with a Night Fury! Is he like Arrow?" He quizzed excitedly.

"Well…" Hiccup began to say, being a little hesitant "Not really. No. I don't think Arrow is a Night Fury. He's different from Toothless."

"How so?" Ukiah quizzed, looking down at Arrow, who had successfully snuck another piece of fish.

"Well, to begin with, Toothless is black all around. He has no other color like Arrow, with black and brown. Also, Arrow has spikes everywhere on him. Toothless is sleek and smooth." Hiccup explained "Also, Toothless can retract his teeth, which is why I called him Toothless. I honestly thought that he was when I first got close to him!"

Ukiah stared at Arrow, taking in the information. All this time, he thought Arrow was a Night Fury. But, if Hiccup was saying he wasn't, what was he?

"However." Hiccup announced loudly "They're similar in ways too."

"You're starting lose me Hiccup." Ukiah replied, confused at what he meant.

"He's built just like Toothless." Hiccup explained "Four legs, the wings, the stabilizing wings at the base of his tail, and even their size. They're about the same in regards to that. The tails are similar, but Toothless has bigger fins at the end." Smiling, he then observed "Honestly, that's probably why he was mistaken for a Night Fury in the first place. He's built just like one; and when he dives, the air screams around him. He is essentially a Night Fury. Maybe a subspecies?"

"Maybe…" Ukiah noted, looking down at Arrow. Grabbing Arrow's head, he then asked "What are you friend?"

Arrow just smiled at him, letting a trickle of sand pile on his lap.

"Ugh, one thing Toothless doesn't do is leave sand everywhere!" Astrid groaned, shaking her head at the pile of sand "I'm still dumping that stuff out of my boots when he stole them from me one morning!"

"Arrow!" Ukiah cried out, glaring at the dragon "Really? That's how you repay our friends?"

"Does he like sand?" Hiccup asked, looking at Arrow with curiosity.

"Does a fish like water?" He quickly replied, smiling at Hiccup "That's how I met him. He buried himself under the sand at a beach. Right under where I was sitting." Smiling, he pushed the plate with the remaining fish on it towards Arrow, who swallowed them promptly "He had an arrow in his side, which I pulled out of him. Heh, part of the reason why I call him Arrow."

"He burrows?" Hiccup asked, staring at Ukiah with an excited look.

"Yeah, a bit." He answered, looking at Hiccup with a little confusion at the sudden interest "Usually softer dirt, like on a beach; but I've seen him dig into hard dirt too. He also swims. He loves the water. Pretty sure that's why his wound never got infected. He was swimming in salt water all the time."

"Toothless doesn't do anything like that…" Looking at Astrid, Hiccup exclaimed "He might be a Tidal Class dragon! A new one!"

"I think you're right." Astrid acknowledged, smiling as Hiccup got excited at the thought.

"This is huge! He's probably a dragon we haven't discovered yet!" He cried out, almost shouting.

"Tidal class? What are you talking about?" Ukiah asked, staring at the two with a confused expression. Arrow, at this point stood up and sat on his haunches, next to Ukiah. He sat there looking down at the three as if he was part of the conversation.

"It's a type of dragon. A sea dragon specifically." Hiccup began to explain "I think Arrow here, is a dragon that we don't have recorded! I mean, it makes sense! No one knows what kind of dragon he is, and he loves sand, plus he can swim in water! He's not a Night Fury, but looks like one!" Taking a moment to soak in the new information, he whispered "He's unique…"

"So you're a new kind of dragon then, huh?" Ukiah asked, looking up at Arrow with a smile.

Arrow growled, almost smiling back at Ukiah.

"I'll have to make sure that nothing like him is in the Book of Dragons, but..." Hiccup ranted excitedly, a hundred ideas running in his head "I'm pretty sure we don't have anything like him written down."

"I'm guessing this Book of Dragons is your record of all the dragons you know about?" Ukiah asked, raising an eyebrow at Hiccup.

"Yup. Nailed it." Astrid replied, shaking her head as Hiccup began to scribble something in a notebook that seemed to have miraculously appeared in his hand.

"Do you have a dragon…" Ukiah began to say, his voice trailing off. Stopping for second, he realized he didn't really know the girls name. Other than when she pulled him up off the arena floor. Sheepishly, he asked "Its Astrid right? I can't really remember, since the only introduction I had from you was when we were fighting for our lives."

Laughing, Astrid nodded as she answered "Hey, you don't have such a bad memory after all. Astrid Hofferson is my full name."

"Heh, well thanks Astrid. For fighting with me and saving Arrow's life." Ukiah smiled, spying the headband he made, holding her hair out of her eyes. She was beautiful, and he was lucky enough to be able to be with her.

"Any time. It's not often we get to help a fellow dragon rider." She replied back, this time her smile widening "And I was itching for a fight anyways. Thariin was too calm for me."

Ukiah laughed at the joke, nodding in agreement. "Agreed! That was one of the reasons why I didn't go there very often!"

Astrid blushed a little bit, realizing that he actually had some commonalities with her. And she made him laugh. Good thing the sun burned her face a little bit since resuming the trip back home, hiding the giveaway.

Finally stopping the laughter, Ukiah took a deep breath and looked at Hiccup "So…going back to Arrow. If he is a new dragon, what should we call him? I don't want anything like Gronckle, or Zippleback. He's sleek and quick."

Thinking for a moment, Hiccup then suggested "I think sand needs to be in the title. As he can't stop spilling it!"

Arrow smiled wider with his razor teeth glistening in the sun. Sand was dripping out of the corner of his mouth as he did so. Dropping to all fours, he then launched into the air, doing a roll as he did so. Diving, he crashed into the water; disappearing from their sight.

"I'll agree with that." Ukiah acknowledged, pulling his attention away from where Arrow disappeared "But sand what?" Looking at Hiccup, he then asked "What about Fury? A Sand Fury?"

"Eh…" Astrid began to say, pulling a face at the thought "Doesn't really flow."

Hiccup stroked his chin, thinking of words that seemed to flow with Fury. It needed to be like Night Fury, as Arrow was like Toothless in being sleek and fast; minus the angled spikes that just made him look more like a fighter.

"What about…wraith?" Astrid whispered, looking up at Ukiah and Hiccup.

"Sand Wraith…" Ukiah whispered, nodding slowly at the suggestion. A large smile began to form on his face as he kept on thinking about it. It was a smooth name, and one that was unique. "I like it. Arrow the Sand Wraith."

"I like it too!" Hiccup replied, smiling at the unanimous decision "The Sand Wraith. Oh boy, Fishlegs is going to have a hay day when he learns about this!"

"Fish. Legs?" Ukiah chopped up, not sure he heard right "Who is…Fishlegs?"

"A friend of ours. Probably the most knowledgeable about dragons." Astrid answered, smiling at the confused expression on Ukiah's face.

"That's a name?" He asked aloud.

"Oh? And Hiccup is a name?" Hiccup replied, raising an eyebrow.

"I…uh…I was a little confused when I heard the great dragon slayer was named Hiccup." Ukiah admitted, scratching the back of his head.

"Hah! Boy that's a lie." Hiccup laughed, shaking his head "I'm not a dragon slayer. If anything, I'm a dragon trainer."

"Trainer? As in…" Ukiah began to ask, only to be cut off.

"He rides them. At least Toothless." Astrid answered "He's the one that discovered that dragon's aren't killers."

"Kind of like you." Hiccup added, gesturing to Ukiah "We're all dragon trainers at Berk though. Astrid, Fishlegs, Snotlout, and the twins, Ruffnut and Tuffnut."

Ukiah stared at Hiccup with wide eyes, digesting the names. Finally, he just shrugged them off. "Guess I'll get to meet them when we get there."

"You know Hiccup, I bet we could get Ukiah to fly Arrow during the trip back." Astrid suggested, smiling at him "Shouldn't be too hard, would it?"

"Wait, you fly on your dragon?" Ukiah gasped, staring at Hiccup in shock. Turning to Astrid, he asked "You too?"

"Oh yeah, in fact all of us do!" Hiccup replied with a wide smile.

"Yeah, Stormfly is my dragon! She's a Deadly Nadder, and will put Arrow to shame in a race!" Astrid added confidently, if not arrogantly.

Ukiah sat there amazed. All this time he never even considered riding Arrow, let alone fly on him! "How do you stay on with…that?" Ukiah trailed off, looking at Hiccup's leg.

"Ha! It actually helps me! It connects to part of the saddle I made for him; you see, I shot down Toothless and damaged his tail." Then a little embarrassed, explained "This was when I wanted to kill a dragon. After I found him, I made a prosthetic for him and my foot lets me be able to steer him while flying." Hiccup answered with a slight smirk on his face.

"You even have a saddle for him?" Ukiah cried out, dumbfounded.

Splash! A torrent of water splashed the three as Arrow shot out of the water and landed near them again. Shaking the excess water off, he stood there smiling at the soaked group. "Thanks friend." Ukiah huffed sarcastically, glaring at Arrow; who promptly laid down on the deck, looking at him with a begging look. Then looking back at Hiccup with a smile, he said "I think we should give it a try sometime eh? What do you think Arrow? Mind if I ride with you while you fly?"

Jumping up, almost hitting Ukiah in the face with his head, Arrow began moving around excitedly at the idea.

"I'd take that as a yes!" Astrid commented, laughing as she watched Arrow spin in a circle.

"I'd say the same thing" Hiccup agreed, shaking his head at the happy dragon.

"I think we'll start tomorrow, I'm still just a little…uh, well weak and bleeding" Ukiah said turning his head to the bandage around his arm which was starting to leak blood from the bottom of it. Excited with the possibility to see the world the way the dragons do, made him very anxious for tomorrow.

For the first time in his life, he was surrounded by people that cared about him.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Chapter Ten**_

Ukiah was already awake before the sun began to shine through his little window. Taking it as a sign that everyone would be getting up for the day, Ukiah flung out of his hammock and jumped to his gear. His arm sent a numbing feeling up his arm, telling him to slow down a little. Sitting down on the crate, he began to pull his hunting pants on. Chuckling, he realized he never really slept last night, due to the fact that he kept on thinking of him riding Arrow. "I'll finally see what it's like to fly…" He whispered, still thinking it was just a dream rather than a reality.

Someone knocked on the door to his room. "Come in, almost done in here!" He called out, reaching to pull his first boot on.

Both Hiccup and Astrid walked in, with smiles on their faces. Astrid was holding a coil of rope loosely in her hand as well.

"Ready to see what it's like to be a dragon?" Hiccup asked, smiling at Ukiah.

"I think I was ready when you suggested the idea! My body just disagreed." Ukiah answered excitedly, pulling his last boot on.

"I think it still disagrees." Astrid said a little concerned, noticing that the bandage on the arm was still leaking a little bit of blood out of the end "Wanna change bandages?"

"Nah, I'll be fine." He replied, unconcerned with it as he finished strapping his the boot on. Jumping up, Ukiah made way to the small pile of his equipment on the other side of the room, grabbing his leather strips that were his gauntlet-like wrappings. The slashed one was still useable, but was shorter from what it was before Malke got his arm. "So, anything I need before I jump on him?" He asked, as he started to wrap his forearms.

"Definitely" Hiccup stated with a tone that suggested that there was no other alternative "You're going to need something to hang on."

"Alright, what do you suggest?" He asked, straightening up after he finished wrapping his last arm. He tested it to make sure it wouldn't fall off.

"Already got what you need." Astrid answered, lifting the coil of rope she had.

Ukiah couldn't help but smile. His friends were genuinely interested and helping him. It was something he never really had in his life before.

"Come on, let's go!" Astrid continued to say, excited for him "Get a shirt and get up on deck!"

Ukiah laughed as he grabbed his hunting vest. Following the two up to the deck, he called out for Arrow. Not even a second later, Arrow flew right in front of Ukiah and rammed his head into Ukiah's chest for another rubbing.

Almost being knocked down, Ukiah laughed as he rubbed Arrow's head with extra energy. "Ready boy?" He asked happily. Wagging his tail, Arrow stepped back with sand trickling out of both corners of his mouth.

"I'd say he's more excited than you are!" Astrid commented, smiling at Ukiah.

Hiccup couldn't help but feel how excited he was for Ukiah and Arrow. He remember when he rode Toothless for the first time. The thought made him glad that they were already on his way back home, even though it was going to be another 2 weeks. Reminiscing in his memory, he smiled as Ukiah kept on playing with Arrow. Shaking his head at the happy pair, he grabbed the rope out of Astrid's hand and called out "Come on, let's get the rope on him so you can hang on. Trust me, if he's anything like Toothless, you'll need it."

Ukiah couldn't help but feel excited as he helped Hiccup tie the rope around Arrow's neck, and around his chest. Arrow though excited to fly with Ukiah, wasn't too fond of the rope harness. He twisted his head with a facial expression of detest as the rope tightened around him. Ukiah softly laughed and rubbed Arrow's head, whispering "Just for me friend, I need something to hang on to."

Still not entirely thrilled about the rope, Arrow lowered his shoulder so Ukiah could get on easier.

Almost floating, Ukiah leapt onto the neck of Arrow. Landing between two spikes, his back almost had a natural saddle with how the spikes were laid out. Situating himself, he grabbed the makeshift harness. Double checking that it wouldn't choke Arrow, he pulled on the rope a little bit. Confirming that it was good, he turned to Astrid and Hiccup with excitement all over his face.

"Remember, hold on tight! Toothless likes to shoot like a lightning bolt whenever we start to fly. I imagine Arrow will too." Hiccup warned.

Checking his grip on the rope a second time, Ukiah took a deep breath, trying to get the nervousness out.

"Just tell him when you're ready, he'll do the rest!" Astrid added.

"Okay…you ready Arrow? Let's g-" Ukiah was cut off by the sudden launch into the air.

Arrow shot forward just like his name, an arrow! Ukiah didn't need to check his grip on the rope, because his fists were clenched around the rope so tight, that death would be the only reason why he'd ever let go.

Arrow flew forward for a bit, then immediately pulled up to begin climbing at an incredible speed! Ukiah's breath was taken away at the sudden change in direction! It was a feeling that he never felt before; and probably would never have, if he hadn't met Arrow! "Whoa! Whoa!" He shouted into the wind "Arrow! Slow down!" His cries were either ignored, or not even heard. The wind rushing by sounded like a waterfall, it was so loud he could barely hear himself. "If this is how fast he goes up, how fast can he go down?" Ukiah wondered to himself, checking his grip and pulled his body closer to Arrow's. He was able to slide his shoulders under two angled spikes, helping him stay on.

No sooner had he finished that thought of how fast Arrow could go in a dive, Arrow began to do just that; leveling off from his climb for a moment. Ukiah then saw how high they actually were, and it scared him. He never looked down before because he was so focused on what was ahead of him. Now, he was forced to look down because it WAS in front of him! Losing his breath again and almost his stomach, Ukiah clung for dear life as Arrow screamed downward. The sound of the screaming air was rich and clear in Ukiah's ears. It still gave him the chills.

Watching the water get closer and closer, Ukiah began to pull up on the rope out of reflex. Arrow responded quickly to Ukiah's pull and leveled out just above the water.

Still having his heart pound through his chest, Ukiah rested for a minute thinking of what had just happened. He had just ridden a dragon! More importantly, he was still on Arrow! It was amazing to feel oneself move faster than the wind!

Getting his nerve back together, Ukiah grabbed the rope and pulled it to the right which Arrow responded with a bank to the right. Laughing now, Ukiah pulled left which Arrow promptly turned in that direction. Finally getting a feel for flying on Arrow, Ukiah yelled above the roar of the wind "Okay Arrow, now I'm ready! Give me your best!"

When the words fell into Arrow's ears, he instantly re-acted. Rolling a whole rotation, Arrow then pulled up and flew even faster upwards. Ukiah was ready this time, keeping himself tight to Arrow's neck. Arrow took a second and looked into Ukiah's face with an expression of 'do you trust me?'

Ukiah, seeing this, smiled and nodded. "I'm with you regardless. Do what you want!" He shouted.

Not even double checking with Ukiah, Arrow rolled over and did another dive, this time a lot more vertical. Ukiah kept his body hugging Arrow's neck, letting the spikes hold him down. Arrow stared at the blue sea that was coming closer every second. Narrowing his eyes, he straightened out his body even more; making him a sleek line, ready to cut through anything. Ukiah felt Arrow's body shift a little, knew exactly what he was going to do. Realizing it was a bad idea to let the dragon dictate what they should do; Ukiah laid his head on Arrow's neck to make him tighter and prayed to the Gods.

From Hiccup and Astrid's point of view, they were doing another generic dive. Arrow was diving at incredible speeds; the air was rich with the screaming dive. They stood there amazed at the sight, at least until they saw them getting way to close to the water.

"Pull up! Pull up!" Hiccup shouted, even though he knew it was useless. Hiccup had been on Toothless doing a dive into water before, but not at full speed! Astrid stared with wide eyes, watching Arrow scream towards the water. Watching helplessly as the two crashed into the water, Hiccup leaned against the edge of the ship. A pillar of water shot out from where they crashed into, taking both their breaths away.

"What'd he do?!" Stoick roared behind them, running to the side of the ship. He had been watching the two since they took off.

"Ukiah and Arrow just crashed into the water at full speed!" Hiccup cried out, still leaning over the edge of the ship and scanning the water to see if he could see any sign of them.

Suddenly, a loud splash sounded off behind them, followed by a joyous roar. Whirling around, they were relieved when they saw Arrow and Ukiah fly around the ship.

"They must have swam under the ship!" Astrid shouted excitedly, finally relaxing as she realized what happened.

"Amazing…" Hiccup whispered "He is a Tidal Class dragon! No doubt in my mind now!"

"That was idiotic!" Stoick breathed out angrily, interrupting both their thoughts "He's still recovering! What was he thinking when they did that?"

"Dad, I don't think Ukiah had much say in it." Hiccup answered, watching the two coast in a wide circle around the ship "Arrow was probably testing Ukiah, seeing what he could do with him."

"Doesn't change the fact that it was stupid for him to try flying. He's only been moving around for two days!" Stoick growled.

On the back of Arrow, Ukiah couldn't believe it! He just dove into the water at speeds that he didn't even imagine traveling at. More importantly, he was still alive! Looking down to Arrow, he shouted happily "We did it friend! We did it!" Arrow reacted by doing a quick roll and roaring. "Come on; let's do another fly by!" Ukiah laughed, tugging on the harness and guiding Arrow towards the ship.

Hiccup, Astrid and Stoick; along with the crew, watched Ukiah and Arrow turn towards them. Stoick was still frowning at the recklessness. "Boy's going to get himself killed." Stoick said shaking his head.

Watching the two scream past the ship made Hiccup suddenly sick inside, because he was missing Toothless even more now. Looking at Astrid, he guessed she was thinking the same thing.

"WOOH!" Ukiah cheered as he passed the ship. "This is amazing Arrow!" Then looking down at his friend whispered "Thank you…"

Arrow just kept a straight course, smiling wider and letting sand trickle out of his mouth, showing he acknowledged the compliment.

Raising his head, Ukiah saw a white glimmer ahead. Sitting up straight, he squinted to try and make out what he saw. His hunter trained eyes caught a glimpse of something up ahead. It was small due to the distance. Pointing to it, Ukiah asked "Do you see that Arrow? Let's check it out."

Slightly diving to accelerate a little more, Arrow flew faster towards the speck. As they got closer, Ukiah saw exactly what it was. It was a ship! It was a little different than the usual Viking ship, because it was smaller and had a sleek, almost flat design. On top of it was a massive sail, carrying the plank of wood of a ship, at a speed that made it a lot faster than any other. Though it was lower in the water, it seemed to cut through the sea like a hot knife through butter.

"Come on! We've got to warn the others!" Ukiah roared, pulling Arrow around and hoping they weren't spotted. He knew this would be too good to last. It was only a matter of time before Strogg would come after them.

* * *

"Are you sure it was a Thariin ship?" Stoick asked with concern.

"Not really, no. But why would a ship be coming our way that fast?" Ukiah answered, swaying a little bit trying to get used to the deck moving up and down. It was hard to walk again after riding Arrow. His balance was thrown off a little. Plus, his arm's bandages were shredded after the dive, causing him to bleed a little bit again.

"What kind was it?" Stoick continued to interrogate.

"Couldn't tell; it was one that I never seen before. It was like an arrow in the water, pushed by a massive sail. It was moving faster than any ship that I've ever seen." Ukiah replied. Looking around their ship, he followed up with "Even this one."

"We'll be ready for them" Stoick growled, his eye's narrowing.

Astrid and Hiccup were only spectators at this point, but Hiccup then asked his dad "Can we just attack them with Arrow? I mean they wouldn't be able to do anything about it."

"No, because it's only one ship, not a fleet" Stoick answered resolutely, looking down at his son "I'd think that if they were meaning hostile action, they would bring a few more ships just to make sure they would win."

"So we're waiting for them?" Astrid asked, not liking the idea.

"Kind of, I'm going to let them catch up to us first." Stoick responded, then turning to Ukiah and Arrow "However, I do want you two ready to fly when we meet up with that ship, just in case they do try to do something that I don't like. Can you do that?"

Ukiah and Arrow looked at each other, which Ukiah quickly replied "Of course! If it helps in any way, we'll do whatever you need."

Nodding, Stoick walked off making a few orders to try and help speed up the ship. He was going to have the Thariin ship work to get to them.

"Ukiah, you need to tell us what you thought of flying!" Astrid said excitedly, trying to change the subject.

"Hm? Oh yeah!" He replied, obviously distracted by the current event. He was so worried about him endangering his newly found friends, that he almost forgot the incredible experience he just had. Forcing a smile, he began to tell them how his flight went.

It didn't take him long to remember the incredible experience it was, getting excited as he thought more about it. "It was the most amazing feeling I've ever had! Being weightless and falling and…and…" He couldn't get the words to describe what he experienced. Looking at Hiccup and Astrid with a sheepish smile, asked "You know what I'm talking about don't you?"

Smiling, both Hiccup and Astrid nodded. It was exciting seeing someone experience what they lived with. It reminded them how lucky they were.

"The dive really about did me in though, but now I feel I can do anything with Arrow!" Ukiah began to explain, rubbing Arrow's head "It was the most exciting experience I've ever had. And terrifying as well!"

"It was the same way for me. Toothless gave me a ride to remember when Hiccup kidnapped me." Astrid commented, grinning at Hiccup.

"He what?" Ukiah asked raising a brow, turning to Hiccup "Couldn't talk to her, so you stole her?"

"What? No!" Hiccup cried out, seeing what Ukiah was meaning. Astrid also looked embarrassed at the comment.

"Oh?" Ukiah asked, raising an eyebrow "Then why did you kidnap her?"

"Uh, well, you see, I uh, I was trying to keep him a secret and well…she found out. I stopped her in order to try and show her how amazing Toothless was!" Hiccup stuttered out. Rubbing the back of his head to try and kill the embarrassed feeling he had, he added "But he had a different idea of how to show that to her."

Astrid, recovering from her awkward reaction, laughed as she replayed the experience in her mind. It changed her life forever. And now, she was watching it change Ukiah's. Looking at him, she smiled, personally glad they freed him from Strogg and Thariin.

The three spent the next hour talking about dragons and tips with flying, trying to take their mind off of the ship that was coming. It worked actually, until they heard a "Ship Ahoy" from the watchman on top of the mast.

Running to the side, the three peered over the edge of the ship and saw a massive sail basically flying towards them. It had a white flag on top of its mast as well.

"Looks like they're coming with peace in their mind" Ukiah observed, his voice cold "I highly doubt that it's going to be of any favor to us."

No one said anything, but just stared at the approaching ship. After a minute of silence, Ukiah finally broke it with saying "I got to go get my gear, never know what may happen."

"I agree; I should have my axe with me when we meet up." Astrid added, nodding in agreement with him.

"Oh. I should go and…get my dagger!" Hiccup threw in so that he wasn't left out of the group.

A short few minutes later, Astrid and Hiccup were watching Stoick grab a rope that was tossed over. After tying it to the side of the ship, Stoick began to converse with Ugo, who was acting as the leader in charge. Ukiah was on Arrow's back, ready for the word to fly and take out the Thariin ship. Honestly he was hoping that would be the case.

"Stoick the Vast, I am Ugo, a champion of Thariin. I am acting on behalf of Chief Strogg the Stone. We come to you this day, to talk about the past events that have taken place in Thariin; which everyone on board your ship was involved in." Ugo declared, looking up from his ship at Stoick.

"Yes, I know who you are, Ugo. And the reason why you're here. How about telling us what you want? I doubt it was to tell us your fancy title." Stoick thundered down on Ugo, his eyes narrowing.

"Fine." Ugo growled back "Strogg the Stone is willing to forgive you and your tribe the trespasses committed, on one condition. It is the only condition that he desires and nothing else will satisfy it. He wishes you to surrender the poacher Ukiah to us."

As if a fist hit his stomach, Stoick lost his breath. He looked over at Ukiah, who by this time dismounted from Arrow and stood up straight, ready to cross ships.

Ukiah was torn. He obviously didn't want to go because it would mean certain death. However, he also didn't want to have all his friends punished because of him. Besides, why would Stoick go to war with Strogg if he didn't have to? Shaking his head slightly, he patted Arrow's head and whispered "Good-bye friend…Hiccup and Astrid will take care of you…"

Astrid and Hiccup gasped and they looked at Ukiah, leaving Arrow and walking towards Stoick. "There's that helpless feeling again…" Hiccup whispered.

Astrid only nodded as she stared at Ukiah. Why did Strogg want him so bad? To send a ship to pick him up? She gripped her axe as she watched the fear and anxiety on Ukiah's face.

Stoick seeing Ukiah walk towards him, turned and faced Ugo. "That is not an acceptable condition. We will not agree to it!" He roared, glaring at Ugo.

Ukiah's mouth dropped open. Was he actually defending him? "Why? I'm no one worth going to war for." He thought, trying to think of a reason to keep him.

"Stoick, be reasonable. We are the most powerful tribe known, and you're denying a basically free pardon? That makes no sense!" Ugo questioned, shocked at the answer.

"I said no." Stoick repeated, glaring at Ugo "If Strogg wants to change his mind as to the condition; I'll be more than happy to discuss it. However, a life is not worth a 'pardon' as you so called it." Stoick continued in a more aggressive tone, gripping the railing of his ship "If not a change to the conditions, we will be more than happy to receive him with the drums of war sounding off."

"Stoick please!" Ugo almost begged "I can't return to Strogg with this news!"

"Then I guess you better not go back." Stoick growled, untying the rope from his ship "You have five minutes to leave us before we take matters into our own hands."

Ugo roared in a fury, seeing that Stoick wouldn't budge. He then let his rage control his words, yelling "You'll be wishing you took the offer Stoick! When you witness your village being burned, your men being slaughtered, and your son dying because of your arrogance! But you'll be spared to live with the guilt and agony of losing your tribe!"

"One minute!" Stoick roared, raising his hammer to which all the men behind him followed suit by drawing their weapons.

Ugo glared at Stoick, wishing he could kill him right there. Grunting, he then ordered "Take us away; set us at full speed back to Thariin."

Within that minute, the massive sail began to disappear into the distance. There were a few minutes of silence, other than the few orders Stoick gave to get them back to full speed. After resuming their course, Stoick stood at the back of the ship, staring into the direction the Thariin ship disappeared too.

Ukiah, seeing a moment to talk to him, slowly walked next to the Berk chief. "Why? Why did you do that for me?" He asked softly, looking at Stoick with curiosity in his eyes.

Hiccup and Astrid walked behind the two, not wanting to miss a word in the conversation.

"You know your own history, right boy?" Stoick asked, still staring across the horizon.

"What do you mean?" Ukiah asked, confused at the question.

"I know you're from Crev. Do you know anything about it?" Stoick clarified, finally looking down at Ukiah.

Ukiah was shocked to see the fearless leader's eyes misting slightly. He was also surprised that he knew he was a Crevite. Shaking his head, he whispered "No, I don't. Other than the few things I remember from what my guardian, Jessika, told me."

"What did she tell you?" Stoick pressed, not taking his eyes off of Ukiah.

Confused, Ukiah began to wrack his mind. "Well, I know that Strogg was the one who destroyed my home. And my family. But as far as traditions and customs, she only told me about my war paint. She disappeared before I was old enough to recall everything she taught me."

"Do you know anything about you're war paint?" Stoick followed up with.

"No, other than it's what the warriors wore in battle." Ukiah replied, shaking his head. Looking at Stoick with curiosity, he asked "How did you know that I was a Crev? And why are you interested in the war paint?"

Stoick let out a long sigh, looking back up at the infinite sea. "Because I was there. I was there when your home, nay your people, were destroyed."

Ukiah gaped at Stoick, shocked at the revelation. "Yo-you were there?" He asked in different tone that Hiccup or Astrid ever heard before, almost hateful and hurting.

Nodding, Stoick turned to face Ukiah, with watered eyes. "I'm sorry…it's haunted me ever since we finished that battle. I thought saving the remainder of your people would calm the guilt I felt, but it didn't. Heh, I reckon I saw you when we took the survivors to Thariin..." Sighing, he then whispered "That's why I'm defending you; protecting you. I won't let the last Crevite fall because of me again."

Ukiah just stared into the water, his head whirling with the new information. This man was there?! He helped kill his people? Taking deep breaths, his seething temper was interrupted as Stoick rested his hand on his shoulder, making him quiver at the touch.

"Ukiah, I know you're a Crevite because of that war paint. All of your warriors wore it the day we fought. It signifies something." He whispered, looking at Ukiah with concern "I realize what I did is unforgivable, but at least let me help you now. Let me…try to repay you for my mistake."

Hiccup stared at his dad. He knew how hard it was for him to act that way, and he didn't realize that Ukiah was part of his dad's past! Which meant…he was part of Strogg's past too! It made sense why Strogg wanted him dead! Hiccup watched Ukiah, hoping he would forgive his dad.

A few minutes passed by, with Ukiah staring into the water and contemplating the new information. Astrid couldn't help but think Ukiah was going to turn on Stoick. She gripped her axe to be ready in case a fight should break out.

"Stoick…I can't forget what you did to my people. Probably my parents too." Ukiah whispered hoarsely, finally breaking the silence and turning to look up at him "But I don't need to forgive you. What's done is done. You've saved me from Strogg, and you refused to let his champion take me back. As far as I'm concerned, you and I are more than even. I owe you."

Stoick nodded, agreeing with what Ukiah was saying, and also relieved.

"I just ask that I'm the one who ends Strogg." Ukiah added, standing up straighter "I expect you to let me fight him if the opportunity permits."

"We'll talk when it arises. Just know this Ukiah, you have a home on Berk." Stoick whispered, acknowledging Ukiah's request. Ukiah just gave a simple nod, returning his gaze to the sea. Stoick then turned around and started to issue orders "Set the sail for more than it can handle! We'll only have a few weeks to prepare for war, at least before the Thariin ships arrive at Berk. Get the oars out! I want non-stop rowing until we get there!"

Hiccup and Astrid slowly walked up to Ukiah, not really sure what to say. Before Hiccup could even utter a single word, Ukiah said "I guess that explains why your dad is helping me."

"Are you really the last of your…" Hiccup began to ask, his voice unable to finish the question.

"Tribe?" Ukiah finished, his face forming a frown "I think so. At least, the last one that cares…"

"I'm so sorry…" Astrid whispered quietly "I can't even begin to know what that's like."

"Heh, it's alright. I've been alone most my life. This is the first time I remember actually having friends." Then, grimly, Ukiah added a few chilling words "Besides, you might just find out what it's like if Strogg wins the coming war."


	11. Chapter 11

_**Chapter Eleven**_

Toothless was lying in front of Hiccup's house, with the same depressed look that he had when he first learned that he couldn't go with Hiccup. Also adding to the depressed mood, was the fact that he couldn't fly. The other kids of the Dragon Riders Academy tried to ride him, but anyone who tried usually ended with a face plant into the ground. Everyone failed to even help him fly a good hundred yards. Thinking about all the crashes, and also Hiccup, Toothless let out a sigh and closed his eyes, trying to sleep the time away.

"Come on guys, we have to do something!" Fishlegs cried out earnestly, looking from the dragon arena down to where Toothless was laying.

"Uh, like what? We all know how well your last idea went" Ruffnut replied with an annoyed tone to her voice.

"Yeah, my face still hurts from the crash I took, that was like…" Tuffnut counted his fingers "12 days ago."

"It actually makes me feel better!" Ruffnut chimed in with a smirk, which Tuffnut grabbed her helmet and it pushed down over her eyes. Pushing her away, he easily dodged the punch thrown from her.

"Ok, ok, that probably wasn't the best idea, but we have to try to take Toothless' mind off of Hiccup! I mean, we have no idea when they're coming back!" Fishlegs desperately pled, looking at everyone.

"Hmm" Snotlout greatly exaggerated to show everyone the he had an idea "What if we give him a Hiccup to take his mind off of Hiccup!"

"Uh…what?" Tuffnut said looking completely lost. Ruffnut also stopped swing her fists, lost with Snotlout's suggestion.

"What if we give Toothless a Hiccup doll? It'll probably be bigger than the real one anyways!" Snotlout said excitedly "We can model it after this perfect example!" At that, he gestured to his whole body, ending with a flexing pose.

The others looked at each other, thinking about it. Deciding that it was the best idea that anyone could come up with, they broke off to get the resources needed to make Snotlout's Hiccup doll; all leaving on their dragons.

Toothless looked up as he noticed the riders and their dragons fly away from the ring. With a loud groan, Toothless let his head drop onto the ground, not even caring what it landed on.

A short hour went by and the four met back at the arena, all carrying the things they set out for.

"Everyone have what they were supposed to get?" Fishlegs asked excitedly, as he set a bunch of twigs on the ground.

"Yeah, I got the twine and the yak hair!" Snotlout announced proudly, showing off while sticking his chest out.

"And I got the cloth and an old pair of boots!" Tuffnut added dropping a role of greenish cloth on the ground.

"No, I got it!" Ruffnut argued, correcting her brother.

"No way, I was the one who found it!" He quickly replied, squaring himself to his sister.

"That's not true!" Ruffnut shouted, stepping up to face her brother.

They began swinging and hitting each other, with Ruffnut tackling her brother and rolling wildly on the ground, shouting names at each other.

Ignoring them, because the fights usually lasted for a few seconds, and then stop just as suddenly as it started, Fishlegs and Snotlout began bundling twigs together to make the torso of the doll. They did the same thing to make the arms and legs, which they attached to the body they made. It took another hour to make, as Snotlout was adamant with making it bigger and stronger looking; but, in the end, they finished the dummy.

"It looks just like him! Except maybe a little tougher." Snotlout observed, holding the doll out from him.

"Hmm yes, yes…" Fishlegs agreed stroking his chin and slightly squinting his eyes at the doll "I think that it'll pass!"

"Come on!" Ruffnut shouted, yanking the dummy from Snotlout "let's bring it to Toothless!"

Toothless was finally asleep until he heard Fishlegs call his name. Annoyed that he was woken up, Toothless looked right at Fishlegs, who was obviously holding something behind his back.

"Hey Toothless! We got you a present!" Fishlegs sang, trying to kill the excitement in his voice. Then knowing he had Toothless' attention, he yelled while swinging the dummy around "We brought you…Hiccup!" Then trying to mimic Hiccup's voice said "Hey bud! Ready to go fly?"

Toothless' facial expression went from confused, to annoyed. Ignoring the dummy, he set his head back down and brought his tail around to cover his face.

"Huh, maybe he doesn't think it's Hiccup, or that it doesn't even look like him." Fishlegs suggested, looking at the doll with disappointment.

"Oh please…you just don't know how to tell a dragon to accept a gift!" Snotlout loudly called out "You just got to force it sometimes." Grabbing the doll from Fishlegs, he walked right in front of Toothless and yelled "Toothless! It' Hiccup! Come on! Welcome him!"

Toothless raised his head again and stared at Snotlout with a disgusted expression. Annoyed at the yelling and the doll for a second time, he huffed at Snotlout. Then with little effort, blew fire at the doll, which immediately took to flame.

"Aggh! Not cool Toothless! Not cool!" Snotlout screamed, running in pain. Bolting to the beach, he tried to find something to put his hands in, as they held onto the doll a moment too long.

"Hmm, I still think he doesn't like it" Fishlegs confirmed watching Snotlout run to the shore to douse his burnt hands. "Maybe we should just let him be, and wait for Hiccup to come…"

"That was my idea in the first place!" Tuffnut whined.

Dejected, they all mounted their dragons and took off, flying back to the arena.

Snotlout just finished soothing his burnt hands in the cool ocean water when Hookfang, his dragon, came walking behind him. Noticing that the others were going back to the arena and making sure the water did its job with his hands, he also climbed on his Monstrous Nightmare. Taking off, he went to follow the others, when something caught his eye. It was a ship! And what was even better, was that it was Stoick's ship! Too add to the excitement, it was close and getting more so every second!

"Come on Hookfang, let's get the others!" Snotlout laughed excitedly "This will be a real surprise for Toothless!"

* * *

"Gah!" Ukiah shouted, falling on the deck of the ship. Looking up, he saw Astrid standing over him with a hand extended towards him.

"Better! I don't think I would have been able to counter your stutter step if I hadn't seen you do it in the arena." She said, feeling him grip her hand.

Ukiah trained with Astrid, learning more ways to fight with a dagger. He picked up on it rather quickly, surprising Astrid with some of his own methods and style. Hiccup usually practiced with them too, but was mainly designing a saddle for Arrow; as his spikes were proving to be a little tricky to work around.

"How did you learn to fight with a dagger anyways?" Astrid asked, looking at Ukiah with curiosity. Making sure he was standing on his own, she took a deep breath as she sheathed her wolf shaped dagger and picked up her axe. Ukiah's stutter step caused her to miss her timing, allowing Ukiah to knock the axe out of her hands. That's the reason she kept her dagger, to stay armed and counter his own counter, which worked brilliantly.

"I don't know. Really, I never fought before." Ukiah explained, shaking his head at the question; also sheathing his dagger over his chest "It was the strangest thing…it was almost like I knew what to do! Whatever situation came, I felt like I've done it a hundred times before."

"Hey Ukiah! Come here!" Hiccup shouted, pulling both their attention to him.

Smiling, he followed Astrid, not wanting her to see him blush. The weeks of sailing, let him get to know both of them a lot more; which after every conversation with her, he found himself liking her more and more. And as far as he knew, she and Hiccup weren't a couple. Yet.

"Look! There's Berk, Ukiah! Your new home!" Hiccup exclaimed while holding out his hand towards the island, in a way that made it look like he was presenting it to him "What do you think?"

To be honest, Ukiah was a little disappointed. It was small, not that it mattered, but he thought that Berk was going to be a lot bigger from the stories he had heard about it. Though finding out who Hiccup was, was surprise of itself! The rock pillars shooting out of the water were a sight though, making the ones in Thariin seem like babies. "Looks amazing! Definitely different than what I was thinking…" Ukiah replied, half lying and half telling the truth.

"You sure you don't want to just fly over?" Astrid asked, hinting at the idea.

"Yeah, I'm sure. I really don't want to introduce a different dragon to your village without you two. Also the fact that I'm a guest, I figured it'd be better if I waited for Stoick to introduce me to your tribe." Ukiah explained, gesturing to Hiccup.

"Make sense." Hiccup acknowledged, nodding in agreement "I can't wait for Toothless and Arrow to meet!"

"I just hope that they'll get along" Ukiah muttered quietly "I don't know how a Night Fury would react to a Sand Wraith. Or the opposite."

"Toothless is friendly enough, I'm sure they'll get along just fine." Hiccup replied, hinting not to worry about it.

Looking at the shore, the three saw a Monstrous Nightmare take off and fly fairly quickly to the arena, set on a cliff.

"Looks like Snotlout" Astrid said with her eyes following the Monstrous Nightmare flying to the arena "I bet he saw us and went to get the others."

"Do you still use your arena?" Ukiah asked, seeing the Nightmare fly into it.

"Well kind of, it's more of a place that we headquarter ourselves at. We train ourselves and our dragons to fly better with each other." Hiccup answered facing Ukiah "We stopped using it for killing dragons if that's what you meant."

Nodding, Ukiah suddenly had an overwhelming feeling of excitement and nervousness. For the first time in his life, he was going to live in a community that he would be a part of. He already had friends that would look out for him, and Arrow was more like family to him. Then grimly, he thought to himself "All the reason to win the coming war…"

Hiccup was equally, if not more excited than Ukiah. He couldn't wait to ride Toothless! It's been way to long for both of them to be apart from each other. "This is going to be the last trip I have not taking him with me." He thought to himself.

The ship was getting ready to dock, which was already full of people ready to welcome back their chief.

"Oi! Stoick!" A voice called out "'bout time you showed up!" A big man then stood out of the crowd grabbing a tossed rope from the ship to tie it down.

"Aye, it's good to see you to Gobber," Stoick shouted with a hearty laugh which died down quickly "but I'm afraid I don't come with the news expected. I need to meet with the council, now." His last statement was just that, a statement that was expected to get done.

"Oh…oh…I see," Gobber replied with a look of seriousness on his face "Well, in that case I'll just go and grab the men; I'll meet you up there." He looked at Hiccup with a concerned expression on his face, as to ask 'what's going on?' To which Hiccup just shook his head indicating that it was bad news.

Ukiah didn't picture Gobber the way that he actually looked like, but he instantly liked him. "Interesting looking guy" He said, looking at Hiccup with a smile "You lose your leg the same way he lost his hand and foot?"

"Kind of, a dragon was involved in both cases. His just involved more teeth than mine did." Hiccup replied with a smile of his own.

Stoick's voice grabbed Ukiah's attention: "Ukiah, I want you to come to the council with me, considering you're the reason why I need to have it in the first place." Stoick said gruffly, turning to Ukiah. "I need to not only tell them why, but I need to show them why we'll be going to war."

"Of course I'll come! I mean you saved me, let me on your ship, denied the claims of Strogg, and you're letting me live on your island. I don't really have a choice here!" laughed Ukiah "As long as Arrow can come with me, I'll do whatever you ask."

"Yes, he can come as well; he'll only help prove my reasoning." Stoick replied, nodding his head "Hiccup, I don't need you right now, and I think that if I took you to the council, that you'd be no help; all you would be thinking about is Toothless."

"Thanks dad! Honestly, you're probably right." Hiccup said gleefully, almost floating off the ship and onto the dock.

Following Stoick, Ukiah crossed the gangway with Arrow right behind him. Ukiah was getting a lot of quizzical stares from the local Berk Vikings as they began walking off the dock. Actually, it was Arrow who was getting most of the attention, with every Viking at the dock taking a step back as they passed by them.

Hiccup on the other hand, sprinted ahead of Ukiah and Stoick. He had to go find Toothless; it's been way too long. Ignoring the greetings from other Vikings, he was so wrapped up in the thought of Toothless that he didn't notice Astrid was running right behind him.

"In a hurry?" She called behind him, laughing.

Surprised, Hiccup turned his head to face her, but kept on running towards his house. "Yeah! I see you are too!"

"Not anymore!" She yelled as she looked up and saw Stormfly swoop down and stop in front of her. "Stormfly! I missed you so much!" Astrid laughed, almost tackling and hugging Stormfly's head. The Nadder squawked happily, seeing her rider for the first time in weeks.

Smiling at the scene, Hiccup looked ahead where he was running to; just in time to see Toothless run and jump on top of him. Pinned to the ground, Hiccup laughed as Toothless licked his face and rubbed his head. "Oh Toothless, I'm so glad to see you bud!" He yelled out loud, scratching Toothless earnestly. For a moment, nothing seemed to matter, nothing was wrong; they were together again, and it made anything that was going wrong, suddenly disappear.

"Come on bud! Get off of me and we'll go fly!" Hiccup laughed, pushing Toothless away.

Instantly Toothless jumped off of him and almost seemed giddy at the idea of flying.

Rolling onto his feet, Hiccup set himself on Toothless, locking his leg in place and testing the prosthetic tail. Seeing that everything was smooth, Hiccup gave Toothless a sign that he was ready to go. Launching into the air Hiccup laughed! They climbed higher and higher at a height that they both missed visiting. Closing his eyes to absorb as much of the feeling that he could, Hiccup raised his hands above him and shouted with happiness, which was followed by Toothless roaring in agreement.

Then hearing a squawk like roar behind him, he turned his head to see Astrid following closely behind him.

"Can't let you have all the fun to yourself!" She called out, urging Stormfly to move faster

"Hah! Good luck keeping up! Toothless has weeks' worth of energy ready to burn!" He yelled back, accepting the challenge by laying low on Toothless and beginning a dive. Astrid and Stormfly were right behind them with a dive of their own. After diving for a good ten seconds, they pulled up just in time to avoid crashing into the water. Hiccup and Toothless were travelling so fast at that point, that they were leaving a wake in the water that was just feet below them.

Astrid was taken back at the speed they were moving at. Normally she and Stormfly were able to keep up, but this time she was having a hard time keeping the same distance. "I guess he does have some energy to burn…" She huffed to herself. Having Stormfly keep the same speed that they were cruising at, all she could do was smile and watch Hiccup and Toothless climb back into the air, spinning and celebrating that the long trip was over.

* * *

Ukiah was staring up at the sky with Arrow. He was amazed at how maneuverable and graceful Hiccup and Toothless were. Also, seeing what a Night Fury actually was. Hiccup was right, he and Arrow were similar, yet different. Turning to Arrow, Ukiah said "Looks like we have a few more days of practice ahead of us!" Arrow turned and, understanding what Ukiah was saying, nodded in agreement.

Then seeing shadows fly over them, they both looked up to see three other dragons flying after Hiccup and Astrid. "Must be their crew…" Ukiah said staring off after them. He was wishing that he could have gone with Hiccup and Astrid to fly with them, but there were definitely more important matters at hand.

Following Stoick to the Great Hall, Ukiah was impressed with the size of the doors. Stoick opened one of the doors, letting in some of the men that followed them from the docks. "Looks like Gobber is still getting a few more" Stoick observed looking down the stairs and seeing Gobber talking to a group of men.

"So is this council to strategize for the war?" Ukiah asked curiously, stepping inside. Arrow was close behind him, sniffing the air to make sure it wasn't a trap.

"Not exactly, it's more to officially set the terms of what will cause us to go to war. And to show everyone why we are. Remember, we're not exactly fighting each other yet, and I don't want to go and attack any Thariin ship that sails nearby, other tribes might not like that." Stoick stated.

"So it's more of a diplomatic move then?" Ukiah summed up.

"More like a political move. If Strogg doesn't attack us, then I'm alright with that; but chances are that he won't let this act of defiance go unanswered. I just want to let the village men to know what's probably going to happen, this will let me see those who are with me and those who aren't" Stoick explained, walking deeper into in the Great Hall, towards a large table.

By this time Gobber had just gathered the rest of the council and was proceeding to fill his mug that was attached to his hand.

"Hmm…" Ukiah thought to himself, watching him drink out of his mug of a hand "He's crafty, I'll give him that."

After a few minutes of talking, greeting and speculating what the meeting was about; and why a stranger of a boy and a new dragon were there, the meeting began to proceed.

"Vikings of Berk, I come back with grave news." Stoick's voice echoed in the vast room. His voice boomed like thunder, catching even Arrow off guard. "Our trip to Thariin was…eventful. We were able to meet with Strogg the Stone, however, his interests were not in our favor. Those who don't know Strogg, which is most of you, don't know what his passions are." Stoick paused at this moment, thinking of how to deliver his thought "I'll be upfront with you. He enjoys killing, and death. Not just with animals or dragons, but other Vikings as well."

A murmur ran through the crowd at this news.

"So why are we having this meeting? There must be more to it than that!" A voice called out from the crowd of Vikings.

"Let me finish first," Stoick replied gruffly "Strogg in the past was responsible for an entire annihilation of a tribe about twenty years ago, the Tribe of Crev." After a small pause, Stoick continued "You may not have heard of Crev, but it was a prosperous tribe, but now gone and only a memory for a few. There is no one left from Crev." Stoick announced, letting the information sink in. Turning to Ukiah who was standing next to him, said a few words that directed all attention to Ukiah "Except for one. This boy."

"Are you saying that this boy is from Crev, which you said was destroyed a good two decades or so ago?" asked a man standing near Stoick.

"Yes, this is Ukiah, the last of the Tribe of Crev" Stoick thundered. Making sure the statement sank into the crowd, he turned back to them, almost roaring this time "Strogg wants him dead! I will not let him do that! As we speak, I'm sure that Strogg is coming with the entire Thariin fleet to get this boy. To finish what he started!" Ukiah was standing with pride, trying to help sell Stoick's explanation. "I asked you all to come here, so that we can discuss the limits that we will set on Strogg and his army! I want to know who will fight with me to save the last of the Crev!"

It was silent at first, which made Ukiah worried. Then one by one, every single Viking in the room shouted acceptance of the request. It was a beautiful sight. Every Viking shouted while drawing his weapon and holding it in the air, or raising their fist up and high.

After the excitement died down, a voice came from the back, in almost a challenging way, saying: "Stoick, Stoick, Stoick, even though most don't know about the island of Crev, there are a few who still do." An older man stood out of the crowd, holding a walking stick, which seemed to add to his age. "I remember Crev more than you probably! I know they weren't exactly who they said they were. If this boy is from Crev, how about he demonstrates how a Crevite warrior fights!" The old man smirked, which told Ukiah that he didn't believe a word that Stoick was saying.

"Ukiah, you want to take this one?" Stoick asked, hinting strongly to do something to satisfy the needs of this man.

"What's your name elder?" Ukiah asked loudly, but respectfully.

"Murky, that's all you need to know, whelp." He spat back, almost with poison in his tone.

"Why is he so hostile to me?" Ukiah wondered. Ignoring the jab, he then spoke up, explaining "I was a newborn when Crev was destroyed, my guardian Jessika tried to teach me all that my people lived for. Consequently, I don't know anything about my tribe's traditions or fighting styles."

"As I suspected, nothing more than someone who just uses the name! No one has seen a Crevite in years! If they are still around, they'd all be older by now." Murky said in a tired and annoyed voice. "I know for a fact that this boy is not a Crevite!"

This caused a disputation among all the Vikings there, some agreeing with Murky and some with Stoick.

"That's enough Murky!" Stoick thundered, putting an end to the arguments.

"Wait Stoick, I have something to say." Gobber said, standing up and finishing his drink. "I think that it's fair to point out that this boy has an argument here. He said that he was only a newborn when the event happened, thus he would have had no recollection of his family, let alone anything regarding the Crev. Which, I think I can help him with."

Ukiah's head perked at the comment. Staring at Gobber, he wondered if he could actually help him learn more about his origins.

"Gobber, stop wasting our time!" Murky yelled in the most threatening way that an old man could.

"Aye Murky, I believe it was you who told Stoick that he wasn't the only one who has a knowledge of the Crev. It just so happens that I may know a bit here and there about them as well." Gobber retorted back, almost in a mocking tone.

Defeated by his own words, Murky settled down.

Making sure he still had the spotlight, Gobber continued: "But, I think it's a waste of time arguing if he's a Crevite or not. The point that Stoick's talking about, is should we defend someone from a killer?" Gobber then casually walked over to a barrel, pouring himself another drink "The way I see it, regardless of who a person is or isn't, we need to help protect them. Isn't that what Hiccup did for all of us? Even after we basically banished him from the tribe?"

An ashamed murmur ran throughout the hallway, leaving Ukiah wondering what Gobber was talking about. "Hiccup was banished?" He thought, looking at Stoick who was the chief and his father "How? Why?"

"You're saying we should die for a stranger? One that hasn't done anything for us?" Murky yelled, glaring at Gobber angrily, knowing he was losing supporters.

"What did we do for Hiccup? We ridiculed and made fun of him! His name was a curse! He didn't need to save us, and he lost his leg when he and Toothless destroyed the Red Death!" Gobber replied, his eyes narrowing "Besides Murky, it's never been what can someone can do for us, it's what can we do for someone else."

Ukiah stared at Gobber. He was really wanting to help him! Silently thanking Gobber, he rested his hand on Arrow's head, knowing they had a place to stay at.

"Bah! If we're going to risk our heads for this boy, is there anything you can do to show you're a Crevite?" Murky roared, glaring at Ukiah.

"Here, here…" Another older man called out.

"Stay out of this Mildew." Stoick warned, glaring at the second man who stepped up. Turning to Ukiah, he asked "Well, Ukiah, can you show us that you are a Crevite?"

Ukiah thought for a moment, and then nodded in agreement. Not saying a word, he walked over to the fire that was lit in the center of the room. He grabbed a mug of, whatever it was, from a Viking sitting at a table. Setting it down by the fire, he grabbed a charred stick and proceeded to step on it, breaking it into small pieces. After getting a small pile of charcoal, he began to smash it into finer dust.

Stoick knew exactly what Ukiah was doing, and if you weren't next to him, you never would have seen the small smile that grew on his face.

Running the fine dust through his hands, he grabbed the mug and poured its contents onto the pile of charcoal. Mixing the blackened paste, he spread it all over his fingers, making sure it was layered evenly over his hand. Standing up, he faced himself to Murky, who was at this time staring right at him, daring Ukiah to show him. No one said a word; it was almost eerie with how quiet it was. Making sure everyone was watching, Ukiah slowly raised his hand to his face, and painted a black diagonal line, high left to low right.

"Well, now we know we have a Crevite fighting with us. I actually think we do have a chance of winning this war." Gobber commented, with a smug expression on his face. Smiling at Ukiah, he winked at him and then swallowed the rest of his drink.


	12. Chapter 12

_**Chapter Twelve**_

"URRRGGHHHH" Ukiah groaned, throwing up over an edge of a cliff. The drink he used to mix his paste was messing with his senses, and making him sick to his stomach. Making sure he didn't have any chunks hanging from his mouth, he slowly stood straight up.

After standing defiantly with the war paint on in front of Murky and the rest of the Vikings, Ukiah began to realize the stuff he used to mix with the charcoal wasn't a good idea. Turning to Stoick with a face that looked like he was going to be sick, Stoick dismissed him; with the excuse that he was done with him, and needed to consult the men with what they should do.

Feeling something bump into his back, Ukiah turned around to see Arrow with a concerned look on his face. His green eyes looked into his, as if asking what was wrong.

"I'm ok friend, just a little…grossed out." Ukiah replied with a wry smile, dry heaving as he smelt the war paint.

Relief flooded Arrow's face at this news, happy that whatever was wrong with Ukiah wasn't serious.

Ukiah smiled as he looked at Arrow. "You're always concerned for me, making sure that I'm ok. I guess with what happened in Thariin has you overly worried about me." He laughed, stroking one of the spikes on his head.

To be honest, what happened in Thariin was almost too much for Ukiah to think about. It was only a few weeks when he and Arrow were fighting for their lives, and about to lose too. If it hadn't been for Stoick, Hiccup, Astrid, plus all the Berk Vikings; they would have lost. He knew they would have. Thariin used to be a place that Ukiah ignored until he had to go trade. Even then, he went in and out as fast as he could. "Guess I couldn't really face the truth there." He muttered to himself, rubbing Arrow's head.

Then he switched his thoughts to something that was still puzzling him, the dream he had where he was on a different looking island. The abandoned village with the broken statue and skeleton in the room. Not to mention the peaceful feeling he had the entire time he was there; it was so confusing to him. Ukiah shook his head and looked over the cliff. Arrow walked beside him, trying to make eye contact with him. Ukiah didn't see him, having a lot go through his head. He was basically the reason why Berk would be going to war with Strogg, who wouldn't stop at anything until he had him, or killed him. Then there were probably a few people on the island not too happy with him being here, Murky being the main representative. "I guess we'll just have to see how this pans out…" Ukiah mumbled, petting Arrow's head.

"Hey Ukiah!" A voice called behind him. "What are you staring at? Come on and follow us!"

Quickly turning around, both Ukiah and Arrow looked up to see Astrid and Hiccup, with their gang hovering above them.

"Come on! We want to show you something!" Hiccup called out, as he and Toothless started to fly away.

"Eh, I don't think he looks so tough" The boy on the Nightmare called out, while flying by.

Smiling, Ukiah leapt onto Arrow's neck, getting ready to blast through the air. It wasn't as fast as he was expecting, but fast enough to launch into the air and catch up with the group. Curious as to where they were taking him, Ukiah took the liberty of riding in between Hiccup and Astrid. Toothless noticing Arrow gave him a toothless smile, to which Arrow roared with happiness.

"I wish I could understand what you were saying!" Ukiah laughed hugging Arrow's neck to show that he loved him; and mainly to keep himself more balanced.

"We really need to get you a saddle!" Astrid called behind him "You'll fly ten times better!"

"I'll have to follow up with Hiccup on that!" Ukiah replied yelling, with a wide smile.

"Don't worry, I'll make it soon enough!" Hiccup shouted back to both of them.

"I need to talk to you about some features with it." Ukiah said turning to face Hiccup "I have a few more ideas!"

"Alright, we'll talk about it after." Hiccup answered, returning his attention forward. Doing a quick barrel roll, Hiccup dove straight down; to which Arrow followed doing the same thing. Ukiah then saw exactly where they were going, to the arena. Ukiah knew that it was retired from dragon killing, but it was more than that which made him suddenly uneasy.

Hiccup and the gang flew straight in, minus the Nightmare who had to walk in because of its sheer size. Arrow stopped just in front of the gate, also hesitant about going in. Ukiah was staring at the group, now laughing and joking with each other as they dismounted their dragons. He was reluctant, not because of what it was used for, but the memories that he had because he was in one. Arrow also seemed a little uneasy.

"Come on!" Snotlout called, teasing Ukiah "Is it too much for you to go through a gate?"

"He's got a long ways to go if he's gonna be flying with us." Tuffnut expressed, looking a little disappointed with the teen that had war paint on. "Amiright sis?"

"Completely and totally, brother." Ruffnut agreed, nodding her head to add at the comment.

Astrid, a little more sensitive than the two, punched both Tuff and Snotlout in the arm to which they both yelped in pain, jumping a good five feet away.

Hiccup then walked over to Ukiah, asking "What's wrong? Is it what we used to do here?"

Shaking his head, Ukiah then explained "No, it's not the past of the arena that's haunting me; it's our past that's haunting us."

Hiccup looked down and saw that Arrow was also staring into the arena in a defensive stance. "If you want to, we can come out" Hiccup suggested, wanting to help Ukiah anyway that he could.

"No, we need to come in; we need to get over what happened to us." Ukiah responded, slowly dismounting off of Arrow. It was now or never, and they didn't have much time to waste being hesitant. Plus, it was pathetic that he couldn't walk through a gate. Sighing heavily, he began to walk through the first gate. As he passed under the second gate, he swore that he heard a crowd cheer. Looking around, even though he knew that the only people there were Hiccup and his gang, he still tried to find the source of his imaginary audience.

Arrow was equally disturbed, walking slowly and cautiously behind Ukiah, stopping every few feet to make sure it wasn't a trap. Arrow wasn't going to let anything happen to Ukiah again, not after he almost lost him in an arena like this.

"What's up with him?" Tuffnut whispered to Astrid, watching Ukiah slowly walk towards them.

"Long story, I'm sure he'll tell you when he gets here." Astrid replied, visiting the memory she had watching Ukiah and Arrow fight for their lives "In a nut shell, he was almost killed in an arena like this one. Both of them."

"Oohhh…" Fishlegs nodded "I see, I see…"

Finally arriving in front of the group, Ukiah stopped and looked around. If it was the Thariin Arena, he was standing in the same spot where he woke up and found out the horrible truth of him being in an arena.

"So…are you just going to stand there? Or are you going to tell us who you are?" Snotlout asked, still having a teasing tone in his voice "Or are you scared of the mighty one that you see before you?" That brought another fist from Astrid into his arm. "OW! What the? What was that for?"

"Being an idiot." Astrid replied simply and bluntly.

Chuckling, Ukiah brought himself out of his thought, relaxing a little bit. "I'm Ukiah. I'm sure that Astrid and Hiccup told you that they basically picked me up nearly dead."

"I'm still positive that you were dead for a minute there…" Hiccup threw in, looking at Ukiah with worry.

"Yeah, it was quite a story! Did you really befriend that new dragon in the arena?" Fishlegs asked excitedly, looking over at Arrow "That's amazing!"

Ukiah laughed and then explained to them how he and Arrow met before the arena. When he went out hunting Arrow for gold and glory, but ended up fighting to save him for friendship's sake; since he was the first friend he ever had. From befriending Arrow, to arriving on Berk, Ukiah told everything; even when they named Arrow a Sand Wraith, which made Fishlegs giddy with the idea of studying a new dragon species. He kept the dream a secret though, even from Hiccup and Astrid.

"But before everything in my life changed, I made small leather apparels and sold animal pelts. Which is how I met Hiccup and Astrid." Ukiah finished, smiling at the two.

"I still love the headband." Astrid added, pointing to the headband that Hiccup bought from Ukiah.

"Good! It's supposed to last for a while!" Ukiah commented, looking at it with satisfaction. He was glad she got it, as it was the best one he made. That, and everything else he made was stolen by the Thariin guards.

"I bet it will…" She replied, moving her hair out of her eyes and tucking it into the headband. The carved Swallows were more visible, making it look even more elegant.

"So…are we just going to shoot the breeze all day, or are we going to do what you wanted to do Hiccup?" Ruffnut asked Hiccup, a little annoyed and bored with following the conversation.

"Do what?" Ukiah asked, with slight concern on his face; mostly out of confusion.

Turning to Ukiah with a smile on his face, Hiccup then began to speak to him "Ukiah, as you can see, here in Berk we have a Dragon Training Academy, and we're the riders. Not big yet, considering we really just started; but we feel you'll help us move in the right direction. Ukiah, we want you to be part of us! We want you to be a dragon trainer! Both you and Arrow will be important to not only us, but to Berk as well!" He finished with a bigger smile, holding out his hand in a friendly way "What do you say, want to train dragons with us?"

Ukiah stood there speechless. He didn't even know what to say! Never had he been part of a group before; but here he was, his friends offering and inviting him to part of an elite group. The Dragon Trainers. "I…I…don't know what to say…" He stuttered, staring at them with wide eyes.

"Well, you could say 'yes'." Astrid retorted, teasing Ukiah. Smirking at him, she added "It's not that big of a deal, I mean, it's not like you already trained your own dragon, rode him without a saddle, and already went through a fight together."

Smiling at Astrid, Ukiah looked at Hiccup and replied with a resounding "Yes! I'd love to! I just hope I live up to the expectations."

Shaking his head, Hiccup quickly explained "It's just you helping us uncover the mysteries of dragons and explore new islands. This is the first time we get to be this close with them, so I know we all have a lot to learn."

Smiling, Ukiah looked at Arrow, saying "I know I learned a lot from you, huh friend?"

Arrow bumped into Ukiah, as if acting like he was in charge. Shaking his head, Ukiah just smiled at him, not arguing with him. Both Ukiah's and Arrow's arena experience was starting to change for the better.

"Hey, so what were you wanting to talk about with your saddle?" Hiccup asked, raising an eyebrow out of curiosity.

"Oh, I was just wanting to add some…uh…perks to it. Nothing to crazy." Ukiah replied with smile.

Interested at the idea, Hiccup replied "Oook? What kind of 'perks'?"

"I was wondering if you could put a quiver on it. Like to be kind of be a surplus of bolts for me, just in case I run out during a hunt." He explained. Pausing for a moment, he quietly added "Or during a fight."

"Hmm..." Hiccup said stroking his chin, indicating that he was thinking of a way to accomplish it "Yeah, I don't see why I couldn't. Shouldn't take too long to make either."

"Um, Ukiah?" Astrid said quietly, almost hesitantly "What about your crossbow? You lost it remember?"

Ukiah frowned "Yeah, I remember alright, but I'm going to talk to Gobber about making me a new one. I need to have a word with him anyways."

"Why?" Hiccup asked, looking at him curiously.

"He mentioned at the meeting that he knows a little bit about me being a Crevite. At least, he hinted that he did." He answered, his face turning serious. "Honestly, anything is better than nothing at this point."

Astrid looked at him with sadness. He was cursed with not knowing anything about himself, and it seemed he couldn't get any straight answers either. Trying to be comforting, she whispered gently to him "I'm sure Gobber will be able to shed some light for you. He's usually pretty good about history and stuff like that."

"I hope so. I just want to know what my people were like. The only thing I know is that they were fighters." He replied, forcing a small smile at her "Maybe he might know where my island is. Maybe I could go visit it. Who knows, I might be able to figure out my last name."

Before Astrid could reply back, Snotlout cut into the conversation. Mainly to keep them from talking to each other. "You fight with a crossbow?" He asked quizzically "Doesn't sound very manly to me."

"Oh yeah?" Ukiah answered, looking at him with shock and confusion at the sudden outburst. Ignoring the attack, he continued to say "Well I'm good with it. I've hunted with one by myself for years, and it's never failed me."

Snotlout just smirked at him, looking at him smugly and folding his arms confidently.

"Oooohhh…We're definitely going to be having some problems." Ukiah thought to himself, his eyes narrowing at him.

Hiccup was busy drawing something in his book, then looking up, closed it. Smiling, he then said "I'll get busy with this tomorrow; it's starting to get late."

Ukiah looked up into the sky to see it starting to turn fire orange. "Of course, I was planning on talking to Gobber tomorrow anyways." Ukiah said, acknowledging the fact that it would take some time before he got his saddle.

Walking out of the arena, Hiccup then asked "Why did my dad want to have you come to the council?"

"Oh that? I guess to show them why we might be going to war." Ukiah answered, reflecting on the events at the council "I think he was doing as a way to rally the troops."

"And everyone was willing?" Astrid asked excitedly, walking alongside of him.

"Well, not at first. There was a guy named Murky who was really questioning me and my claim of being the last Crevite. Another guy named Mildew kind of supported him too." Ukiah explained with a hint of anger in his voice "It was weird. It was like Murky was attacking me."

"Really? Murky?" Hiccup asked confused "I understand Mildew, he could complain about the food in Valhalla! But Murky…that's surprising. He's always supported my dad and his decisions. In fact when he learned that my dad wanted the dragons to live among us, Murky was the first to really welcome them. He built a shelter for them at his farm."

"I don't know, but he wasn't really wanting to help me. If it was up to him, he'd send me straight to Strogg." Ukiah stated. He couldn't help but have a little bit of heated feelings towards Murky, given the fact that he was trying to convince others not to support Stoick.

"Ok, question. What do you mean the last Crevite?" Fishlegs asked, cutting into the conversation "You've been talking a lot about that recently."

"I don't know a whole lot about it; I was just a baby when my island was attacked." Ukiah replied solemnly. "I just know that the Crevites were warriors, but that's about it; that was what Stoick told me at least." Looking at Snotlout and the twins, he added "Strogg was the one that led the raid. That's why he wants me. I guess to either finish the job, or to stomp out loose ends." He left out the part that Stoick was part of the raid, as he didn't want to portray him as a bad man.

"So what's with the war paint?" Snotlout asked, pointing at Ukiah's face "That's just for show right?"

"No." Ukiah replied flatly "It's a tradition. It's the only thing I really know about the Crev. Apparently, it has some kind of significance." Looking at Hiccup, he put a small smile on as he added "I'm hoping Gobber can shed a little light on the subject."

"Huh, sounds boring." Ruffnut stated, unimpressed with the explanation.

"Trust me. It's more frustrating than boring." He quickly replied, his smile disappearing "I just want to have a few answers, but I can't find any."

"Don't worry Ukiah, if anything, we'll search the sea until we find Crev." Astrid responded, resting a hand on his shoulder, catching him off guard.

Looking at her with a sheepish smile, he simply answered "Thank you."

"Oh we will Astrid?" Hiccup asked in a teasing way, missing what actually took place.

"Of course we will. You love exploring!" Astrid retorted, glaring at him.

"Yeah, that's true." Hiccup replied with a smile. Shaking his head, he then said "Come on, let's go fly before night sets in."

A small roar then came from the arena. The group followed where it came from to find Arrow and Toothless wrestling each other in a playful way. The other dragons were roaring as well, as if cheering it on.

"I guess these two really took to liking each other." Ukiah said smiling at the sight. He was relieved that the two weren't fighting each other, as that was what he worried about the most.

Toothless had Arrow pinned, but a quick push and a slight roll allowed Arrow to get out from under him. Almost laughing at the sport, the two kept on running and chasing each other around the arena.

"Come on Arrow! Let's get going…home…" Ukiah trailed off, not finishing what he was going to say. Thinking for a moment, he turned to Hiccup and asked "Where am I staying?" It wasn't until this moment that Ukiah hadn't thought of where he and Arrow were going to live.

"Oh." Hiccup replied, seeing the same dilemma that Ukiah brought up "Well, I guess my place! Until we actually get you a place of your own or whatever you and my dad decide."

Obviously not having too many options, Ukiah smiled as he graciously accepted his invitation.

"Come on! Let's fly before it gets dark!" Astrid yelled, hopping on Stormfly.

The others were already on their dragons, taking off and flying out of the arena. "Oh shoot! I forgot that I have to take care of a few things!" Hiccup shouted, mounting on Toothless "I'll catch up with you guys later!"

Ukiah was already on Arrow, smiling at the turn of events. "Sounds good! I'll see you later tonight then!"

"Definitely later than sooner!" Hiccup laughed as he took off and flew out of the arena.

Confused at why Hiccup said that, Ukiah simply shrugged it off. "Eh, maybe he meant the morning." Bracing himself the best he could, Ukiah launched forward with Arrow into the air. Considering the grim looking future, Ukiah was happy with his situation. For once in his life, he found a real home.


	13. Chapter 13

_**Chapter Thirteen**_

"Ukiah? What are you doing on the front porch? Why didn't you go on inside?" Stoick called out, walking towards his house. Both he and Gobber headed to Stoick's home, finishing up what was needed at the council that night. Seeing the two sitting on the steps, with Arrow resting his head on Ukiah's lap, Stoick promptly stopped in front of them, staring them down.

"I, uh, I-I didn't want to invite myself in." Ukiah stammered, looking up at Stoick and seeing him angry "It's not my place, and I've never really slept inside a building before."

"Stop acting like you're a guest, and start acting like you've been here with us for years!" Stoick grunted, grabbing Ukiah by his hunting vest. Hefting him up onto his feet, he gestured for him to walk inside.

"Alright, I guess I can try to do that." Ukiah replied with a jest in his voice. Opening the door, he then added "I just never had people actually care about me like this before. Usually only when I gave them a good deal on a pelt or something like that."

"Better start getting used to it." Stoick grunted, following closely. Grabbing an armful of wood, he then set it down in the central fire pit.

"Here, I'll start it." Ukiah called out, seeing Stoick reach for some kindling. Turning to Arrow, he gestured to the stack of logs. Arrow promptly walked up to the pit and blew a small stream of orange glowing sand. It looked like he was blowing small embers rather than sand. As the sand rested on the logs, smoke started to rise, eventually leading to a small flame as the heated sand burned through the wood. Arrow sat there proudly as the logs began to burn brighter and brighter.

"What an interesting dragon…" Gobber called out, taking a seat near the fire. Shaking his head in wonder, he then asked "What did you and Hiccup call him again?"

"Arrow? We decided on Sand Wraith." Ukiah answered, cautiously taking a seat as well. He still was getting used to the idea of being inside a house. Trying to relax, he then explained "He loves the sand and thought wraith was a good description for him after watching him fight. Astrid actually came up with that one."

"Good enough reason." Gobber replied with a smile, pulling his hook arm out and putting his mug hand back on.

Ukiah watched him curiously, intrigued by the hooked, peg legged, Viking.

"Where's Hiccup at?" Stoick asked, grabbing a mug that was resting on the table. He then easily grabbed a small barrel in his other, pouring himself and then Gobber a drink.

"Don't know. Said he had to do something." Ukiah answered, shrugging to add to his explanation.

"Hmph…boy's late…" Stoick grunted, taking a huge swig of his drink "You'd think that he would want to be home after the long trip."

"Well, I imagine he's wanting to get some hours in with Toothless" Ukiah responded, staring into the growing fire.

"Of course he would…" Stoick huffed, shaking his head.

The four sat in silence, with Arrow again resting next to Ukiah. Thinking about the day's events, Ukiah furrowed his eye brows in contemplation. Looking at Gobber, he then asked out loud "Hey Gobber? That's your name right?"

"Aye, it is." Gobber replied with a wide smile, sitting back in his chair.

"I just wanted to say, thanks. Thanks for backing me up during that council." Ukiah continued to say, staring into Gobber's eyes with sincerity "Meant a lot to me. And I'm sure Stoick too."

"Heh, Stoick knows I'll always support him. Regardless of how stubborn or bull headed he gets." Gobber answered, smiling at the gratitude "I'll do the same for you too, Ukiah."

"I knew that the moment you started talking in that council." Ukiah complimented back, smiling at his new friend. After a few more moments of silence, Ukiah then asked "What do you know about me? About the island, Crev?"

"How about we wait a bit before I talk to you. Let you settle down a little." Gobber replied, smiling at Ukiah "I know you're anxious to learn something, but you still look like your head's going to pop off with what you're still getting used to."

Dejected at the delay, Ukiah could only nod and stare into the fire. His thoughts were pulled away as Gobber spoke up again, adding "I promise Ukiah. I'll tell you all I know about Crev. I just want to tell you when you're going to be able to understand what I tell you."

"I get it. I do." Ukiah quietly replied, looking back at him "It's just hard to wait again. I've lived my life as someone who had no idea about his history, and not being able to get any answers."

"And I hope I can answer a few of your questions." Gobber said aloud, smiling at him "But, in the meantime, just get used to Berk. And having friends."

Smiling, Ukiah nodded and face the fire again. Rubbing one of Arrow's spikes, he sat there contemplating how much his life changed in the short span of a few weeks; but also how much it will change when he finally learns a little bit about himself.

* * *

Ukiah slowly awoke from his makeshift bed. Not being able to see anything because of Arrow's wing, he slowly pushed it away, allowing a flood of fresh air to come in. Soaking up the change sudden change in temperature and air, Ukiah laid back down on his fur blanket. "Arrow did a pretty good job keeping me warm." He whispered, turning to see Arrow's head also under the wing.

Laughing, Ukiah pushed Arrow's head, which promptly woke him up. Looking around to see what was happening, Arrow saw Ukiah trying to keep a straight face. Roaring angrily, Arrow pushed Ukiah against the wall, pinning him. Trying to get himself away from Arrow, Ukiah pushed against Arrow's head. His laughing wasn't helping him as he was powerless in even shifting Arrow away. "Get off of me! Heheheh, get off you stupid dragon!"

His cries were ignored, as Arrow kept him pinned for a few minutes. Finally, after feeling Ukiah stop fighting him, he lifted his head, with a not so happy face. Staring at the wheezing person, trying to get air flowing normally in him, Arrow just snorted at him in an uncaring way. Ukiah was still chuckling when he began to stand up. "You cheated, that's why you won." He wheezed out with a grin. Arrow just glared at him, almost daring him to say it again.

Shaking his head, Ukiah smiled at the angry looking dragon. "Come on, I bet we overslept thanks to your wing!" Looking around, Ukiah still didn't see Hiccup at his bed. "Stoick and Hiccup must be gone already." he observed, seeing the fire in the center room barely alive, almost smoldering. "Come on let's go find Hiccup" he said turning to the door. As Ukiah was ready to open it, he noticed a white paper stuck in the crack between the door and the frame. Puzzled, he pulled it out and opened it.

 _'Ukiah, meet us at Gobber's place, the blacksmith shop. We have your saddle ready!_

 _-Hiccup'_

Shocked at the news about getting his saddle finished so soon, Ukiah flung the door open and bolted out. "Come on Arrow! Hiccups got a surprise for us!" He shouted, sprinting down the pathway that led deeper into the village. He honestly thought it would take days to make it! An incredibly happy feeling rush over him as he whispered "Thank you Hiccup. Thank you!"

After a few wrong turns, and asking the local villagers for directions, He finally arrived at Gobber's. Ukiah saw Hiccup, Gobber, and Astrid; all sitting and talking with each other; while Toothless and Stormfly were sleeping outside of the shop. Noticing Ukiah and Arrow walking up to them, Gobber called out "Oi! 'bout time you get here! We've been waiting for a good hour or so!"

"What happened? I didn't think a hunter like you would be the type of person that would sleep in." Astrid teased, smirking at him as he jogged up to them.

"Thanks to Arrow here, I would have gone through the entire day! His wing covered me and made it seem like it was midnight." Ukiah huffed back, a little embarrassed at Astrid's remark and also catching his breath.

"Doesn't matter I guess." Gobber replied, smiling at Ukiah "Now then, I'm guessing you found Hiccup's note?"

"About the saddle? Yes! That's why I'm here!" Ukiah replied excitedly, smiling at Gobber.

"Ah…I thought you were just here to visit us!" Gobber cried out sarcastically, pretending to be hurt.

"Here it is!" Hiccup laughed, picking up a saddle from behind the blacksmith counter. It was colored a flat, dark brown; exactly what high quality crafting leather should look like. It had a small lip on the back, created for him to sit against when casually flying. It had stirrups as well, exactly what Ukiah and Hiccup designed so he could balance himself a little better during turns and climbs. Strapped to the front right side of the saddle was a quiver, already loaded with bolts. It was big too, just what Ukiah asked for, holding at least fifty bolts; more than he'd ever need. The left side of the saddle had a smaller sheath, which Ukiah guessed it to be for a dagger.

"It's amazing…" He whispered softly, taking the saddle slowly from Hiccups hands. "It's everything that I imagined it to be. When did you do this?"

"Last night…I wanted to get it done so you could fly with us as soon as possible. That's why I never went home last night." Hiccup answered, putting his fists on his hips, looking at the saddle proudly. "Think it'll do?"

"Of course it will! I'll actually be able to fly the same way as you guys, and not worry about falling off!" Then turning to Arrow, he asked "Want to get that rope harness off friend?"

The idea of getting the rope off, thrilled Arrow as he began to squirm as to attempt to get it off himself. Laughing, Astrid began to remove the harness, while Ukiah and Hiccup double teamed the saddling. Within a few minutes, Ukiah was sitting on Arrow, adjusting the stirrups to fit him.

"Feel good?" Hiccup asked as he observed the crafted saddle on the Sand Wraith.

"It feels amazing…Come on, let's go ride!" Ukiah shouted excitedly "I want to test this thing out!"

"Hold on, we have a few more things to…give you." Astrid interrupted, smiling mischievously as she reached for something hidden behind a wall.

"What do you mean?" Ukiah asked curiously, and a little shocked since he didn't really know what to expect.

Pulling out from behind the wall, Astrid held out a smaller, brand new quiver; built almost exactly like his old, ruined one. "This should hold together a bit better than your rag of a quiver that you used to have" She said tossing it to him.

Catching it, Ukiah observed the craftsmanship of the new quiver. It was tightly threaded together, professional like. The straps were strong and it had slots in it that actually held on to the bolts, rather than letting them rest in it loosely. He was stunned at the quality of it, running his hand up and down the side of it and pulling an arrow out of it. It was truly a gift.

"That's not all" Hiccup called out behind him. Turning around to face Hiccup, Ukiah's mouth dropped. Hiccup was standing there with a brand new crossbow. It wasn't really the same size as his old one; it had a little longer stock with narrower arms. Ukiah gently took the crossbow from Hiccup; holding it like it was a newborn baby. He ran his hand across the smooth wood and felt the sturdiness of the arms. It was perfectly set. As if he had it for ages, he quickly raised it up and aimed at an imaginary target. It felt good. Balanced.

"Thank you…" He whispered, as that was all he could do. He was overrun with emotions, trying his hardest not to cry at the priceless gifts that were given to him. "I don't know what to say…"

"Well, you could say thank you; and you can do that by using to fight any Thariin warrior that walks on this island! Pretty simple if you ask me!" Gobber joked, looking at Ukiah smugly.

Smiling at the comment, Ukiah turned to Gobber and asked "Did you make this?"

Well…yes, I did the crossbow, the only thing Hiccup can't really do, but he did the saddle and the quiver. All of that was him." Gobber answered, motioning to Hiccup with his hammer for a hand.

Returning his attention to Hiccup, Ukiah dismounted Arrow and walked over to him. Not sure how to express his gratitude, he awkwardly extended his hand. Smiling, Hiccup grabbed his hand and pulled Ukiah to him, bringing his other arm around and held Ukiah in a brotherly hug. Ukiah was taken back by the action, but realized it was really the only proper way he could thank Hiccup. Squeezing him back, he whispered "Thank you Hiccup...thank you."

"All right, before ya' get all lovey on me, go fly and get away from here! I got quite an order to fill with the coming battle!" Gobber ordered as masculine as he could, trying to hide the emotion behind his voice. He was obviously touched at the event that took place.

Smiling, Ukiah said "I have one more thing to do now…" He reached for his dagger, which he quickly realized he had left in Hiccup's house. "Ah…well, I must be getting soft! I left my dagger at your place."

"Perfect time for my gift then." Astrid exclaimed, pulling out her dagger with the wolf head carved into it "I want you to have this, you're better with daggers than I am anyways. Plus you have a sheath on your saddle that needs one; I think this one will do."

"Astrid, I don't want to take the one thing you bought at Thariin!" Ukiah began to protest, only to be interrupted.

"You do realize I'm wearing your headband right? The very one you made in Thariin?" Astrid huffed angrily, shoving it into his hands to make him grab it. Smiling, she then added "Besides, we brought you from Thariin. That's more than I ever thought we'd take home."

Caught off guard with the comment, Ukiah could only smile and nod; accepting the gift. Taking the wolf carved dagger, he whispered "Thank you…"

Taking the crossbow, he then set it on the countertop. On the left side of the stock, he took the dagger and began to carve a single line in it. It was diagonal, going high left to low right.

"Your war paint?" Hiccup asked, raising an eyebrow at it.

"Yeah, it was on my old one when Jessika, my guardian, gave it to me. I guess I just wanted to make it consistent with the one and only tradition I know." Ukiah answered, brushing the shavings off. Satisfied, he then turned and announced "Alright, I think I'm ready to go!"

"Let's ride then!" Hiccup laughed, running to Toothless. Astrid did the same with Stormfly, leaping on her saddle in one bound.

Ukiah strapped his crossbow to his back with his vest's straps. Making sure it, and his new quiver were secure, he slid onto Arrow's new saddle. It felt great not needing to maneuver around the countless spikes, and to have something to stabilize himself with.

Astrid jokingly called out "We'll follow! I want to see how much it helps, or if it even helps you at all! You know, the balance issue may just be you." She had a joking tone in her voice with the last statement she threw in.

"Ok, just try to keep up then will ya?" Ukiah laughed, getting lower in the saddle, ready to fly. "Alright Arrow, let's go!" Feeling his body being propelled forward, it didn't take long for him to utilize the stirrups. Already he was balanced and felt like he was one with Arrow.

Doing a quick roll, Arrow roared with approval as he knew Ukiah was essentially stuck to him. He could now do things that he couldn't do when Ukiah only had his makeshift rope harness and few spikes. After climbing for a few seconds, Arrow rolled onto his back and then dove straight down. All the while Ukiah was centered in his saddle, his body shifting with every turn, roll, and bank that Arrow was doing.

Ukiah was enthralled with idea that Arrow could fly normally without having to worry about falling off. Cheering and shouting, he was never going to be thrown off, regardless of the twists and turns that Arrow made.

Hiccup and Toothless were right behind them, trying to perform the same maneuvers that Ukiah and Arrow were making. Able to match them step for step, they tailed closely behind them. Astrid was just behind them, throwing in a few spins and twists of her own, maintaining the same distance that was between them and her. She and Stormfly shared the same competitiveness, which allowed them to gain on the Sand Wraith and Night Fury.

After pulling out of the dive that they were in, Arrow began climbing again at an incredibly fast rate, using the inertia from the dive and his wings powering for max speed. Almost twice the height at where they were at before the first climb, Arrow leveled out for second and flew straight. Ukiah braced himself for anything that Arrow could do, but was completely caught off guard when Arrow promptly folded his wings. The two dropped like a stone, with Arrow falling flat on his stomach. It was anything but a dive! Then Arrow began to go into a tail spin, going round and round.

Ukiah was using all the muscles in his body to hold onto the handles and to stay in the stirrups, but was getting dizzy from the wild tail spin. Down, down, down they went, getting closer to the village square. At the last second, he felt his body magically lift, seeming like he was just floating. After a few seconds of trying to shake the dizziness away, he looked around at his surroundings. He was flying in a big lazy circle around the center of the village, with villagers cheering from the ground. Honestly, Ukiah had no idea what Arrow did, and decided that whatever it was, it was impressive.

Hiccup and Toothless finished a dive that put them right next to Ukiah and Arrow. Laughing at the sight of Ukiah, who looked like he was going to throw up for a week, Hiccup called out "How are you feeling? Just watching you made me sick!"

Looking at Hiccup with a pale face, he replied "I don't even know what he did! One moment I was looking straight and then the next it was everything I could do to hang on for dear life!"

By this time Astrid was flying alongside of them. "That saddle must have been the only reason why you're still on then!" She laughed, seeing Ukiah's face still dazed.

"I bet it was! Because of the saddle, Arrow can do what he normally does with me on him!" Ukiah shouted back, smiling at Arrow who in turn smiled back. "Though, I've never seen him do that before."

"It was definitely a something to see! The village is still cheering!" Hiccup pointed out, turning his attention to the applause and shouting.

"I've definitely done cooler stuff than that!" A voice called out above the three. It was Snotlout and his Monstrous Nightmare, along with the rest of the group.

"That was totally awesome!" Ruffnut shouted, followed shortly by her brother Tuffnut who said "Probably the coolest trick we've seen!"

"I don't know about that...Remember when Hiccup jumped off of Toothless and over a rocky arch? And then landing back on him?" Fishlegs replied, balancing on his Gronckle, Meatlug.

"You did what!?" Ukiah asked looking at Hiccup with shock on his face.

"Uh…yeah, I did that with Toothless shortly after I recovered from losing my leg. It was way scary at first, but it's a lot easier now." Hiccup replied humbly, not wanting to show off or brag. "But it took time; I wasn't just good at it from the beginning."

"Whoa…" Ukiah groaned, looking back at Arrow "We definitely have a lot of flying to do." To which Arrow just roared in agreement.

Returning his focus on flying, Ukiah was about to pull Arrow up to begin climbing again, when he heard his name get called from below him. Looking around to see who it was, he saw that it was Stoick. He was waving his hand and gesturing for them to come down. Banking hard to the right and taking a sharp dive, Ukiah sped to Stoick with the others right behind him.

Pulling up and landing feet away from the Chief of Berk, Ukiah took a moment before trying to step off of Arrow. He was still getting used to the fact that he was flying. By the time he dismounted, the others were already off their dragons and circling around.

Stoick, who looked like he was concerned about something, began talking to Ukiah "Thanks for coming down, but I have some…bad news I'm afraid. You're not going to like it." He then added "You're all not going to like it."

Concerned now, Ukiah braced himself for whatever might come, while the others looked at each other in confusion.

After pausing for a few seconds, Stoick began to say "The council has decided that…you're not to be fighting in the coming war."

This was blow that Ukiah couldn't prepare for. Not help the fight?! After all the things that Stoick had done for him, and he couldn't even help! Nevermind the fact that the war was because of him! "No!" He shouted angrily which took the entire group off guard, even Arrow. "You think I'm going to sit and watch a battle that was started because of me, and not help fight it?" Spit was flying from his mouth, adding the anger that was surging through.

"It's not my choice! Murky and Mildew rallied some other Vikings saying that you are all too young to fight other Vikings. The council agrees!" Stoick sternly answered "They say that you may be dragon trainers, but if you get separated from your dragons, you'd be killed!"

Hiccup then spoke up, looking at his dad with a concerned look "Dad! We can't afford to not use our dragons! That's what gives us an edge!"

"I know son…I think it's ridiculous too!" Stoick growled, shaking his head in frustration.

Astrid took this a lot more personal than the others. She was by far the best Viking warrior in her generation, and was even better than most of the adults. "That's not fair! What about me when I was helping Ukiah! We both showed we can fight without dragons! Never mind that we were also raised to kill dragons!"

Stormfly squawked horror at the comment, which Astrid quickly turned to her and said "Not any more girl, I was just saying what we used to do. Sorry about that…"

"Trust me, I argued for you, but they won't budge on this." Stoick said, rubbing his forehead to vent his anger "They never saw you, and won't believe me when I told them what you two did at least." Breathing angrily, he then added "But they do have a point; you do lack experience in fighting other Vikings."

"So hiding us from the fight is going to help us learn?" Ukiah fired back, a vein bulging out of his neck.

Stoick stared at Ukiah, looking like he was getting an idea in his head. "Actually…you know what. Maybe I can get you all allowed to fight."

Ukiah stood there, wondering what he meant.

Stoick then gestured to Astrid, saying "Going with what you were saying…what if you all entered another round of dragon training?"

Everyone except Ukiah perked up at this, as he had no idea what Stoick was talking about.

"Instead of dragons, you learn how to fight Vikings? With your dragons." Stoick continued to say, thinking more on the idea "That way, the council can't say that you're not prepared! And you'll all benefit from it!"

"Is that what it'll take to convince them?" Ukiah asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It'll satisfy me. And will give me more of an argument to let you all fight." Stoick acknowledged "Besides, it's always good to learn as much as you can about fighting."

"But that's what I've been training to do my entire life!" Astrid growled, glaring up at Stoick. She was still furious that she would have to go through training again, as she excelled in everything that involved fighting.

"I know Astrid. Trust me, I do." Stoick replied, resting his giant hand on her shoulder "But, until I can get this sorted out, show them that you're willing to do anything to defend our home."

Huffing, Astrid simply stared down at the ground, wishing she had her axe.

"Go get your weapons, and meet at the arena." Stoick announced loudly, standing up straight "I'll be sending Gobber and Spitelout to instruct you."

As everyone jumped back onto their dragons, Ukiah and Hiccup stayed back a little bit. Still furious as to the reason why he couldn't fight, he turned to Stoick and said "I plan on fighting regardless, Stoick. Just know that."

"We'll see Ukiah. As much as I want you to, I don't want you dying either…" Stoick replied with some misting eyes.

His eyes narrowing, Ukiah just climbed on Arrow and took off into the air, following Hiccup and Toothless.

Watching them leave, Stoick whispered "I just don't want to repeat the same mistakes…"

* * *

Strogg was on his personal ship, the Water Cutter, with his two remaining champions. They were surrounded by thirty other Thariin ships, each loaded with twenty men that were armed to the teeth. After looking over his vast fleet, he turned his attention to a map of Berk on a table. Still trying to come up with a strategy on how to invade the cliff plagued shores of the island, he glared at the faded map. The only decent place to land his army were at the docks, which he was sure would be protected by catapults and the Berk fleet. On top of that, it was confirmed that they did indeed have dragons, which would undoubtedly be used to harass them at all times of the day and night.

Frustrated at the situation, he stood up and walked to the side of the ship. They were less than a week away from Berk, and they desperately needed something to base their attack on.

Ugo and Malke walked slowly behind Strogg. They didn't dare say anything after they watched a soldier get thrown overboard with a weight tied to his neck earlier that day; just because he walked in front of Strogg. Ugo, being the smarter of the two, began to back up and review the map once again out of the countless times he's done so before.

Malke, not being as wise, stepped a little too close to Strogg. Wham! He was floored by a force that he never felt before. Rolling on the deck to where Ugo was standing, Malke just laid there and whispered painfully "He's still in a bad mood."

"Hmm? Really? Didn't notice it" Ugo replied sarcastically, never taking his eyes off the map.

"Why is it that the most powerful fleet and army, not to mention the minds that are in charge, can't come up with a single strategy? Just one idea that we could use! That's all we need!" Strogg roared, throwing a barrel into the side of the ship, shattering it into hundreds of pieces. "Is Berk really going to be this difficult?"

"Probably harder than that, they have two Night Furies that we know of. Ukiah's Arrow and Hiccup's Toothless, remember?" Ugo replied coolly, still studying the map.

This just resulted in another barrel being smashed, this time punched instead of being thrown. "I'm well aware of that, Ugo! It's the entire reason why we're sailing this forsaken sea in the first place!" Strogg shouted, storming off to the other side of the ship and gripping the railing so tight that it looked like he was crushing the thick wood. If it wasn't affecting him, Ugo would have stood there in amazement. Watching the behemoth of a Viking rage was almost awe inspiring, making Ugo wonder if anyone survived being attacked by the chief.

Shaking his head, Ugo stared at the map with more intensity. He was studying an inlet on the north eastern side of the island. Looking at the inlet, he didn't know why, but it seemed to draw his attention to it. An idea slowly began to form, as he ran all the possible scenarios in his head. "Chief…what if we had a smaller force land behind them?"

"Great, just sail a ship into the cliffs huh? That'll be a lot of help." Strogg growled, still gripping the rail and staring into the sea.

"What if they set anchor in this inlet? They'd be protected from the waves, and they could use a smaller boat to insert themselves. They could climb the cliffs as a smaller force, not to mention they could hide more easily." Ugo persisted "Allowing them to get into position attack from behind. Or to sabotage their defenses, or…even steal away a prize…"

Releasing his grip on the rail, Strogg sensed Ugo had a potential idea, which it had been too long since they had one. However, his cynical attitude wasn't to be dismissed so easily, which he snarled "So we row a third of the army in one boat?"

"Not at all, I can lead a single longboat of your elitist soldiers. Twenty men is all I need. In a single night we could be camped behind the actual village, ready to strike when the rest of the fleet arrives." Ugo pointed out, drawing an imaginary line on the map with his finger. "My source says that Berk is only preparing the village itself for war, leaving most of the island exposed."

Studying the map also, Strogg stroked his beard. His attitude was simmering down, allowing him to think a lot more clearly "Hmm…I guess it would give us that one advantage we need…who is you source?"

"A fellow friend, he's been among them for a while now. He can be trusted." Ugo said confidently, standing up away from the map "He's…not too happy being dragged into a war. And doesn't like Stoick as much now."

"Good, send him another bird, with a letter; tell him exactly what you told me. Have him make sure no one will be around the inlet when you arrive there." Strogg growled, his eyes narrowing "Stay hidden and wait for us to start an initial invasion. We'll send just enough to pull all their attention while you and your men attack from behind. If you strike fast enough, they won't be able to recover to stop you and us at the same time."

Ugo bowed slightly, acknowledging the request.

"Take this ship, the Water Cutter. Let it get you there at least a day and a night before we arrive." Strogg continued to instruct.

"Yes, my chief." Ugo replied, again bowing in respect.

"Where are we going?" Malke asked, finally recovering from the blow he took earlier.

"To another ship of course." Strogg growled, glaring at Malke. Malke was warrior, but that was about it. His brains were less than desirable. Turning to Ugo, he then said "Until we meet, Ugo. May fortune smile on you."

"Likewise Strogg, may your travel be smooth." Ugo acknowledged, watching him march to a small boat, ready to take them off. Malke followed behind, limping slightly.

Seeing them leave the ship, he then ordered "Set the sail to pull away from the fleet! We're going to make sure Berk falls!"


	14. Chapter 14

_**Chapter Fourteen**_

"Been awhile since we've been in here with the purpose of learning how to…kill." Fishlegs said aloud, his voice trailing off as he finished his sentence. Meatlug was walking right next to him, as were all the other dragons were with their respected rider.

"It was never about learning to kill, Fishlegs." Astrid called out, tossing her axe from hand to hand in order to help stifle her angry feelings about being in training again "It was to know how to survive. Just like now."

"Heh, man, this is going to be a waste of time." Snotlout chortled, walking up close to Astrid "Should just let us teach the class, huh sweetie?"

Astrid just glared at Snotlout as she brought her axe handle into his stomach, coupling him over.

"Ha-oof!" He groaned, his breath escaping him. Gasping for air, he simply breathed out "Heh, see? Takes my breath away every time."

"Ugh!" Astrid groaned, quickening her pace and leaving him behind.

"So, you guys all trained to kill dragons here?" Ukiah asked, looking at Hiccup with a raised eyebrow "That's what this arena was for before you took over?"

"Yeah, it was to teach kids how to fight dragons." Hiccup answered, looking back at Ukiah.

"So…not for events?" He followed up with, looking around the arena. Though smaller than Thariin's, Berk's seemed to have had a lot of quality work put into it. Which kind of disturbed him.

"What? No! Of course not!" Hiccup cried out, shaking his head vividly "We never used our arena like what Strogg used his for, if that's what you're asking."

Ukiah's face flooded with relief. All this time he thought the arena was just another form of entertainment for the Berkians. Happy to learn that truth, he closed his eyes and let out a silent breath of relief, grateful that his adoptive island wasn't anything like Thariin. Arrow bumped Ukiah, making sure he was ok.

Smiling at his dragon, Ukiah whispered "I'm fine, friend. Just relishing in the moment." Arrow growled, rubbing against Ukiah as if reassuring him. Smiling, he felt his crossbow rest against his back. Making sure it was still strapped, he also checked his dagger that was securely in its sheath on his chest. He was ready to learn.

"Let's get started!" Gobber called out, hobbling into the arena and pulling everyone's attention to him. He was carrying a quiver full of bolts, which Ukiah guessed was for him to use. Another man was following him into the arena, which Ukiah recognized as someone in the war council he attended the day before.

"Alrighty…Stoick asked me to get you ready for war…" Gobber kept on saying loudly. Then with huge amounts of sarcasm, added "Since you've all been pampered and coddled your entire lives."

Ukiah stood up straight, ready to start learning. Though he fought amazingly well back in Thariin, due to reasons he never understood, he never received a formal instruction. This was an opportunity he didn't want to take lightly.

"War with people is a lot different than dragons." Gobber began to say, pacing back and forth "You can study dragons for a year, and you'll be able to know their nature, strengths, and weaknesses. You can study people for a hundred years, and they'll keep on surprising you with what they do and come up with."

Spitelout then spoke up, cutting off Gobber. His arms folded and his eyes glaring at the youth, he asked aloud "Who thinks they're ready to fight? If Thariin ships were here today, who would feel confident in fighting right now?"

Astrid, Hiccup, Ukiah, Snotlout, all called out, stepping forward in the process.

"Is that so…" Spitelout mischievously replied, a sinister looking expression growing on his face. Pulling out an axe, he then said "Try to beat me, and then we'll see where you're at."

Snotlout was the first to step up, wielding his mace in a manly way and sticking his chest out. Looking over at Astrid, he chuckled "Just watch this baby. The best soldier here is gonna show my dad up!"

Astrid groaned, closing her eyes and shaking her head in disgust.

Spitelout began to circle, as did Snotlout. Snotlout then roared, raising his mace over his head. Ukiah watched as Spitelout easily dodged the strike by sidestepping the blow. Snotlout stared helplessly as his dad brought his axe handle down on top of his helmet, leaving a loud clang in the air and also pushing it over his eyes.

Ukiah stared at Snotlout, surprised at how short it was. Whispering over to Hiccup, he said "I thought he'd last longer than that. Honest!"

"Heh, sometimes Snotlout surprises me still." Hiccup whispered back with his own smile.

"Go give me 20 pushups, son." Spitelout growled, disappointed with his son's performance. Watching him walk over and start doing his pushups, Spitelout then called out "Anyone else?"

Astrid stepped forward, her axe gripped tightly in her hands. Not saying anything, she just waited for Spitelout to start the fight. Ukiah silently cheered her on, though he was sure he wasn't the only one doing so.

"Hold on Spitelout…" Gobber said, annoyed at what the training was turning into "I have a better idea. Besides, I'm in charge…Stoick told you that specifically."

Spitelout glared at Gobber, knowing he pulled away any authority he had on the riders.

"Now, instead of building you from the ground up; again. I want to see where you're at right now." Gobber explained, looking over the crew. Extending his hand with the quiver to Ukiah, he then said "Take this lad, I don't want you killen' anyone here."

Smiling, Ukiah took the quiver and looked into it. Blunt bolts. None of them had arrowheads attached. They almost had a wider flat part on the front of each bolt, as if to make sure it wouldn't pierce anyone.

"Now then, here's what we're going to do." Gobber announce methodically, staring at the gang "Since I'm a firm believer in learning on the job; twins, you two up against Astrid and Hiccup. Snotlout, you against Ukiah. Fishlegs, I want you to watch with me."

Curious as to why he wasn't fighting, Fishlegs awkwardly shuffled next to Gobber, unsure of what he was supposed to be doing.

The twins both drew their spears, smiling evilly at Hiccup and Astrid, who barely got together. Astrid gripped her axe tightly. She knew how they fought, as she constantly had 'practice' with them. This will be easy. Hiccup though…she was a little worried about him. Glancing over, he was carrying a lighter shield, and held his dagger firmly in his other hand.

Seeing her look at him, he just gave a sheepish grin and said "I've gotten better. I promise."

"You better! I don't want to lose to them!" She replied, returning a small smile of her own. Returning focus on the twins, she was surprised to see them whispering to each other, nodding excitedly as if they had a plan. "What're you two up to?" She whispered to herself, raising an eyebrow.

Snotlout squared up to Ukiah, which Ukiah did the same. "Good luck to you." Ukiah replied, smiling at him.

"Yeah, yeah. Tell you what, I'll go easy on ya' so it looks like you can fight." Snotlout taunted, smirking at Ukiah as he ran is hand over his mace.

Ukiah frowned, finally understanding exactly what kind of person Snotlout was. Only shrugging, he retained his distance, thinking of what exactly he needed to do.

"Here's the rules. You will not slash, strike, or stab. You'll only tap your opponent. Understand?" Gobber announced "I don't want to tell your parents that you died in a training session."

"Heh, wouldn't have to worry about that with me." Ukiah joked, smiling at Gobber.

Gobber only frowned at the joke, shaking his head. "I'll add this last rule: do whatever you need to win, without killing or leaving permanent injuries. Begin!"

The twins rushed Hiccup, with Ruffnut keeping Astrid away from helping him. Hiccup raised his shield, blocking Tuffnut's jab. Pushing the shield forward, he swiped his dagger around, trying to tap Tuffnut's side. Leaping backwards, Tuffnut then shouted "You're up, sis!" As he said that, he swung his spear over his head and brought it down over Astrid, forcing her to block the attack with her axe handle.

Ruffnut, still facing Astrid, brought her butt end of the spear backwards, hitting Hiccup in the stomach.

"Gah!" He shouted, falling over onto his back. He started to get back up when Ruffnut whirled around, about to tap him in the side when he slammed his shield down and stopped the flat side of the spearhead. Using his hook of a foot, he caught the backside of her knee, causing her to fall down.

"Good job Hiccup!" Astrid shouted, pushing back on Tuffnut's spear. They were going after Hiccup first! Then they would be able to double team her! Knowing their plan, she began to push Tuffnut away from Ruffnut and Hiccup, who were already scrambling to their feet. "Keep them separated! They're focusing on you!"

"We're blown sis!" Tuffnut shouted, leaping backwards to get away from Astrid. Circling, he tried to get near Ruffnut, but Astrid refused to let him. Striking her axe at him, she grinned evilly, knowing she turned the fight on them.

Ukiah leapt backwards, dodging the mace a third time "Swinging a little heavy, don't you think?" He breathed out, grabbing a blunt bolt from the quiver Gobber gave him. He never had time to get his crossbow off his back, and Snotlout was refusing to let up.

"Oh? Whining?" Snotlout sneered, laughing as he brought his mace back for an uppercut. Ukiah saw it coming, nimbly sidestepping the strike and catching Snotlout's sword arm. About to bring the bolt into his chest, Ukiah's world was rocked as Snotlout head-butted him with his helmet. Reeling back in pain, he covered his face with his free hand, trying to quell the pain that surged through.

"Aye, there you go Snotlout!" Spitelout shouted "Keep giving it to him!"

Ukiah, though dazed, leaped backwards, knowing Snotlout would be striking with his mace. Getting his vision and bearings back, he found himself in between Hiccup and Ruffnut, staring at him with surprise. Seeing an opportunity, he watched Snotlout charge him, which he grabbed and pulled Ruffnut in front of him.

"What the?!" She cried out, being pulled into his fight.

Pushing her into the charging Snotlout, he watched them collide and fall onto the stone ground. Still gripping his blunt bolt, he leapt over Snotlout and drove it into his chest.

"What?! No fair!" He cried out, angry that he was tapped out.

"That's cheating!" Ruffnut shouted, being tapped by Hiccup who saw his opportunity to get her out.

Ukiah ignored the angry cries. Finishing his somersault, and having a free moment; he drew his crossbow, loaded the bolt in his hand, and whirled around in one smooth motion. Seeing Astrid locked again with Tuffnut, he aimed, held his breath, and pulled the trigger.

Schthunk! The mechanism released, launching the bolt right into Tuffnut's helmet, creating a ping sound as the bolt collided into it.

"Huh? What?!" Tuffnut shouted, wondering what hit him. Seeing that it was Ukiah, he shouted "Hey! He wasn't in our fight!"

"But he was in your battle." Gobber replied, smiling at what he watched. Seeing Astrid relax, as well as Hiccup and Ukiah, he then shouted "What're you doing? The fight's still going! Astrid, you and Hiccup against Ukiah!"

Startled by the sudden news, Ukiah quickly collected himself and lunged forward, with his shoulder lowered. Hiccup saw it coming, as he raised his shield to block the charge. Though it redirected Ukiah, the force of the shoulder charge knocked him flat on his butt. Before Ukiah could capitalize on his advantage, Astrid charged him with the axe raised over her head, roaring "YYyaaaeeeegggghhhh!"

About to bring the flat side of the axe down, Astrid swung down over where Ukiah lay. Suddenly, she found herself looking up to the sky, throwing all momentum and direction of the axe away from him. Crashing hard on her back, she groaned as she tried to catch her breath. Looking at Ukiah who was starting to get up, she saw that he swept her feet with his crossbow! She never saw it coming!

"Astrid!" Hiccup cried out, running and helping her up.

"I'm fine Hiccup!" She snapped, angry that she failed to get Ukiah. Glaring at Ukiah, she asked "How did you do that so fast?! I didn't even know what you did, let alone how!"

Breathing deeply to catch his breath, Ukiah simply shook his head "I have no idea! I just saw an opportunity and knew what to do!"

"Woooh! You're going to get it now Ukiah!" Snotlout jeered "Astrid is the best of the best! She can beat anyone!"

"Shut up, Snotlout!" Astrid growled, rolling her eyes.

Laughing, Ukiah quickly reloaded his crossbow, with a speed that even Gobber hadn't seen. Whispering to Spitelout, he quietly said "He's fighting like the tales of a Crevite, isn't he?"

Spitelout only grunted in acknowledgement. He was still disappointed in Snotlout's performance.

"You go to the right of him, hold your shield up, and run at him as soon as I pull his attention." Astrid whispered, rolling her shoulders to loosen herself up. Having fought Ukiah a few times while traveling back to Berk, she had a good idea of what to expect. But this time, he had his crossbow, which was ready to be fired. She never fought him while he used that weapon. Until now at least.

Ukiah stared at the two, seeing Astrid whisper something to Hiccup. Realizing he could start anytime he wanted, he raised his crossbow at Astrid, pulling the trigger.

Hiccup shoved Astrid away, seeing what Ukiah was doing. The bolt whizzed in between the two, skipping off of her shoulder guard.

Ukiah wasted no time in reloading. Locking the mechanism again, he was about to pull out another bolt to load, but looked up to see Hiccup charge him with his shield raised. Unable to finish his task, Ukiah rolled to the side of the charging shield. Getting back onto his feet, he saw Astrid also running at him, this time her axe to her side. Winding up, Astrid swung her axe as hard as she could, flat side of course. Ukiah leapt backwards, easily dodging the heavy, yet slow strike. What he didn't account for, was her swinging herself around into a spin, using the inertia of her axe to propel her swing. Swinging a full circle, she extended her arms to give her that much more reach. Ukiah barely had time to spin around, letting the axe whiff against his vest, and actually breaking one of his few remaining straps.

"Out! He's out!" Snotlout shouted, seeing the strap fly.

Ukiah ignored him. Finishing his spin, he used crossbow as a battering ram, running it into her stomach, now exposed because of the swing. "Oof!" She grunted, sliding back a little bit at the hit.

"I am not out! If it was a real fight, she scratched me!" He roared, loading a bolt into the notched mechanism. Not waiting to hear what was said, he focused on Hiccup, who had his shield raised and was flanking him. Astrid was already recovered, and marching towards him as well; her eyes glaring at him. Knowing what the fight was going to turn into, he mentally prepared himself. Walking backwards into the center of the arena to keep himself from being cornered, he watched Hiccup change his course from flanking him, to walking along side Astrid. Then, without warning, he instantly fired his crossbow at her again.

Hiccup was waiting for the move, as he leapt in front of Astrid with his shield up and blocked the bolt. Astrid, then sprinted at Ukiah with her axe raised a third time. Instead of backing away, Ukiah leaped forwards to rush her before she could bring her axe down. He simultaneously dropped his crossbow and drew his dagger. The blade hummed in the air as he was about to tap her side. Wham! A force hit him and laid him down on the ground. Rolling with the inertia, he rolled up onto his feet. Staring wide eyed, he saw Hiccup standing next to Astrid. He was playing defense for her! There was no way he could get her with Hiccup not leaving her side. Gritting his teeth, he knew Hiccup was the one he had to go after. Astrid then swiped at him, increasing the amount of her attacks. Now that he had his dagger, she knew exactly how to control him, and she had Hiccup defending her!

Timing himself with the swings, he nimbly dodged the strikes by backing off, leaping to the sides, or even somersaulting away from the two. He didn't know what he was waiting for, but he knew it wasn't right then. Backing away, he saw it. His chance was starting to take shape! Just as Astrid was swinging her axe, Hiccup took a step to the side of her, allowing a small gap in between the two. That was what he was looking for! Letting Astrid slash in an upwards direction, he lunged forward with his dagger stretched out, somersaulting between the two. Taken back by the sudden move, Hiccup felt himself get tripped up. A sharp sounding ping let out, and he fell to the ground.

"You hit his leg!" Astrid cried out, shocked at seeing what Ukiah did. She had watched Ukiah slash the dagger across Hiccup's metal leg, essentially tripping him. He hit it with such force that sparks shot out at the collision between the two metal objects.

"It didn't cut him!" He quickly shouted, lunging forward. In one smooth motion, he tapped Hiccup out, before Astrid could even try to defend him. Rolling onto his feet, he whirled around in an aggressive stance. He never fought like this! Never! Even when he practiced with Astrid on the ship. He usually was on the defense, but now, he was being the exact opposite.

"Agh! I'm sorry Astrid!" Hiccup cried out, sitting up. Using his shield to boost himself onto his feet, he saw that she wasn't even paying attention to him. She was watching Ukiah warily. Knowing that look of determination, he quickly jogged out of the way.

Astrid kept on staring at Ukiah, who was holding his dagger in front of him like a snake ready to strike. It was different from when she fought him on the ship. He never once shown an aggressive stance before, how was she supposed to deal with this? Gritting her teeth, she decided to show Ukiah that she also had a different tactic: being relentless, and force him to be defensive.

Ukiah leapt at her, slashing his dagger downward. Astrid easily blocked it, raising her axe handle up and stopping the blade. She then used the butt-end of her handle and hit Ukiah across the face, sending him reeling back. Not stopping, she did a short, quick slash at him.

Seeing it come, and ignoring the stinging sensation across his face, Ukiah swung his dagger at the quick strike. Ting! The metal sounded as it collided into each other. Not enough to stop the swing, all it did was direct it away from him. Again, Astrid did a quick strike, in the opposite direction. Ukiah leapt backwards, against striking the axe head to re-direct it. Astrid never stopped, swing her axe to the left, and then to the right! She never let Ukiah get a break.

Realizing he was forced to go on the defensive, Ukiah knew he had to shake something up. Astrid knew how he fought defensively, and would beat him if he didn't change something. Letting Astrid finish a swing, he roared as he leapt forward. Placing himself in between the axe head and Astrid's hands, he used his body to push against the axe handle to prevent her from swinging it again. Astrid dropped her axe out of reaction, reaching up and grabbing his wrists to stop him from tapping her out. "Ergh! Get off!" She shouted, trying to push Ukiah away.

"Let go and let me get you! Then I will!" Ukiah grunted, surprised at how strong she was.

The two wrestled each other, trying to get the upper hand. Astrid spread her legs, increasing her stance and making it harder for Ukiah to try and push over. He felt himself start to lose ground, giving him an idea. Pushing against her as hard as he could, then let himself fall backwards. Surprised at the sudden change in direction, Astrid toppled over him. Not wasting a second, he promptly rolled over her, forcing her on her back. Holding the dagger over her, he just smiled at her furious looking face. About to tap her, he then felt something hit his side. Looking down, he stared in complete shock. Astrid had grabbed a blunt bolt from his quiver, and planted it right into his ribs.

"No!" He cried out, realizing he lost.

"Hah! I win!" Astrid jeered, smirking at Ukiah, who did nothing to hide his disappointment in losing.

"Yeah, Astrid!" Hiccup cheered, happy to see that she won.

"Told you Ukiah, you can't beat the best!" Snotlout threw in, hiding the anxious expression he had, as he thought Astrid was going to lose.

"Well done, Astrid. Ukiah, never hesitate in a fight. Even if you're sure you won." Gobber instructed, hobbling towards the two "Follow through, don't get distracted and don't celebrate early."

Ukiah only grunted, still angry that he lost. Getting off of Astrid, he then extended his hand and pulled her up onto her feet.

"That was…different." She huffed, finally catching her breath "I've never seen you be that aggressive before."

Shaking his head, he also took a moment to catch his breath. "I'll be honest, I didn't know how I was doing that. It just felt…right. I don't know, it doesn't make sense!"

"I think I have an idea why…" Gobber said, walking up to the two "We'll talk about it tonight though…" Turning to the rest of the group, he then said "I can see why the council is worried about you lot. You don't have experience fighting in a battle." Gesturing to Hiccup, Astrid, and Ukiah, he added "You three included. Still have a lot of room to improve."

Ukiah stared at Gobber, not really hearing what he was saying. He was focused on what he heard. What did Gobber know about him? It was killing him! He wished he could just be alone with him for a few minutes, just to get an idea of his past.

"Gobber, we're not regular soldiers. We'll have our dragons with us." Hiccup protested "We may be inexperienced fighting like you, but we have a different way we can fight. It might even be better!"

"I'm not arguing that Hiccup." Gobber quickly replied, turning to face him "But you still need to learn how to fight without Toothless." Turning to Astrid, he explained "Astrid is probably the closest one ready to fight. With Ukiah close behind."

"Wait, what?" Snotlout asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion that he wasn't named.

"I still need help." Ukiah huffed, finally able to relax from the fight "Fighting. Riding dragons. You name it. I still have a long way to go."

"That's why we're going to keep on training." Gobber replied, glancing over at Ukiah "That little sparring session, just gave me an idea on where I can help you individually." Walking to a table full of targets and other gear, he called out "Spitelout, help me set up some obstacles."

Nodding in agreement, Ukiah sheathed his dagger. Hiccup already picked up his crossbow, and was handing it over to him. "Thanks, Hiccup. You did good defending Astrid. Couldn't get near her." He smiled as he took the crossbow.

Astrid also walked up to the two, hitting Hiccup in the shoulder "Heh, you have gotten better. I remember when you could barely lift a shield."

"Thank you Astrid, for pointing that out." Hiccup huffed sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

Smiling, Ukiah turned to Astrid, saying "Well, what do you think I can improve on?"

"Honestly, I think we're at the same level." Astrid answered with a smile "We'll have to keep pushing each other if we want to get better."

"Heh, I guess that's your way of saying you want a rematch." Ukiah jested back, smiling at her. Even though the reason they had to have training sessions was still lingering in his mind, he felt a calming feeling. He was with friends. Friends that cared about him. And he wasn't going to let his past hurt them. Ever.


	15. Chapter 15

_**Chapter Fifteen**_

"The lower you lay on him, the harder it is for you fly off on sharp turns." Hiccup advised, walking up the pathway towards The Great Hall.

After training all day, with Gobber having them run drills and other sword fighting experiences; Hiccup and Astrid went flying with Ukiah, giving him tips on how to fly. Though he was significantly better with the saddle, he was still learning how to ride with Arrow and his maneuverable turns. Only once was he thrown off, which was why they were talking about how to stay on better.

Ukiah let out a huge sigh, shaking his head. Walking in between Hiccup and Astrid, their dragons followed closely behind the three. "I've got so much to work on. From riding dragons, learning how to fight, and being part of a tribe in general."

"Hey, don't beat yourself up." Hiccup replied, smiling at Ukiah "We're still learning about dragons. Honestly, we only have a few months of a head start on you."

"And I say that you do know how to fight. You've made me feel sore from all the trainings we did today." Astrid added, stretching her arms as she spoke. Shaking her head, she added "Been awhile since anyone's been able to do that to me."

"But I still haven't beaten you. Which means I still need to practice." Ukiah countered quickly.

Looking at him with a curious look, Hiccup then asked "Has Gobber told you anything yet? About your tribe?"

Ukiah only shook his head, looking down at the ground. "Not yet. Though he did say he would tonight."

"You'll have to tell us what you learn." Astrid threw in "Sounds like it should be interesting."

Ukiah glanced up at her, and then to Hiccup. Confusion on his face, he then explained "I thought you guys were going to hear it with me."

Realizing that he was expecting them to be with him, Hiccup then replied "Of course! We just assumed you wanted to be alone when you learned about your history."

"Why in Odin's name would I want you guys to leave?" Ukiah asked "I've spent most of my life alone, I don't plan on spending more of it like that." Stopping, he squared up to them and asked "Would you guys like to be with me when Gobber tells me about my history?"

"Of course!" Hiccup cried out, smiling at him "I'd love too!"

"Better count me in!" Astrid added, smiling at Ukiah. Looking at his relieved face, she was glad that she was going to be of some help to him with learning his history. She knew Ukiah well enough that he could do things alone if he wanted to; but the fact that he was wanting to have them with him, meant that he wasn't wanting to be alone. Smiling, she resumed walking with him, listening to Hiccup teach him more about riding dragons.

"Oi! There ya' are!" Gobber's voice called out from behind them.

At the same time, all three plus their dragons turned to see Gobber hobbling after them.

"Finally! Been trying to figure out where you ran off to." He huffed, stopping in front of the three. Looking at Ukiah, he then said "Stoick and I are ready to…talk to you, Ukiah."

"Great! We were just talking about it!" Ukiah replied, a relieved expression growing on his face. This was it. The moment he was waiting for since he learned Gobber knew a little bit about his history.

"Follow me then. We're going to the Blacksmith shop." Gobber explained, turning and walking away "Stoick and I think that's the best place we can go, so we can avoid interruptions."

"Fine by me. I just want to know what you know." Ukiah replied, walking alongside Gobber "Hiccup and Astrid are coming too. They deserve to know who I am, as they're really my first friends I've had. Well, minus Arrow."

Hiccup and Astrid smiled at the comment. They were glad they could be part of something that was actually quite a mystery. Astrid kept on watching Ukiah, walking silently with Gobber. It was obvious he was anxious, and perhaps a little nervous. Who wouldn't be though? He literately knew nothing about himself. Shaking her head, she watched him with a compassionate expression, hoping that he'd be able to get some answers that he had.

It didn't take them long to get to the shop, considering Ukiah was speed walking to get there. The dragons seemed to know that something serious was about to happen, as they all stopped in front of it. Well, except Arrow, he walked alongside Ukiah.

"Easy friend…" Ukiah whispered, putting a small smile on his face "There's not enough room for you, why don't you wait with Toothless and Stormfly?"

Arrow huffed out an angry snort, blowing a small amount of sand on Ukiah.

Laughing, Ukiah gently pushed him away, freeing up the already cramped space.

"Now that that's been taken care of…" Gobber began to ask, taking a seat on the cold forge "Everyone ready?"

"Aye Gobber, let's try putting Ukiah's mind at ease." Stoick replied quietly, standing near Gobber with his arms folded. He stared at Ukiah, as if ready to read his facial expressions.

"I'm ready. Been ready for almost a lifetime…" Ukiah whispered, sitting down on a table that was littered with miscellaneous tools. Hiccup and Astrid took two stools and sat next to him.

"Alright then…" Gobber grunted, shifting his body to make himself more comfortable "Now then…what do you know about the Crev? Tell me everything, so I know where to start."

Ukiah shrugged, saying "Just what I've said. Really only the warpaint. And I guess from what Stoick told me a few weeks back; we were warriors." Looking at Gobber in the eye, he then finished with "That's it. Unless you want me to say that I know I'm a Crevite."

Gobber nodded in an understanding way, whispering "I'm no expert on the Crevites, or your traditions. Only what I've picked up from Gothi and fellow traders."

"Gothi? Does she know a bit about me?" Ukiah asked, his interest perked at the possible source of new information.

"Aye, I'd imagine she knows more than just a bit about them." Gobber answered with a smile "But she…doesn't exactly talk. Besides, I have a feeling you'll be visiting with her shortly anyways."

Confused at what he was meaning, he was about to ask when he was stopped.

"I'll explain after I tell you what I know." Gobber cut in, raising his good hand to silence him. Getting comfortable, he then began to explain "Let's see…well, Stoick was right about you being warriors. That was their culture."

"Like us." Astrid chirped in, listening intently.

"Eh…kind of." Gobber answered "We like to fight, yes. All Vikings do. But the village of Crev were different. They lived fighting and training every day." Looking at Ukiah, he added "It was in their blood."

Ukiah had chills run down his spine, making him shift his body uncomfortably.

"They said that fighting came as easily as eating to them." Gobber continued to say "Where most Vikings raged and got the blood pumping; a Crevite would do the opposite. They'd stay calm and collected. No one knew how or why, but it worked for them."

Ukiah listened intently, not taking his eyes off Gobber.

Stoick just stood there and listened. His mind went back to where he was facing off with a few of their warriors. He remembered they rarely shouted, or even let out a battle cry. They were composed and collected. Honestly, if it weren't for the overwhelming numbers they had, Stoick was sure they would have lost that fight.

"Now, no one knows how they were able to basically create such warriors, other than what their culture was based off of." Gobber continued to say "This is where Gothi would be a little more knowledgeable than me."

"What do you know?" Ukiah asked, still wanting to know more.

"The Crev…they're connected to their ancestors somehow." Gobber began to say, careful of what he was saying, as to not mislead Ukiah "The rumors I heard were that they had access to their ancestor's abilities; or rather, their experiences."

Ukiah stared at Gobber, his mouth slightly gaped open and his head exploding with information.

Gesturing to Ukiah, Gobber explained "That's why I think I know why you've adapted to fighting so well. You're experiencing your heritage in action."

Ukiah looked down from Gobber's gaze. It made sense, though it didn't at the same time. He couldn't explain how he was able to fight, other than he just seemed to know what to do. If he was experiencing what Gobber was saying, then it actually explained a lot. But one thing still wasn't making sense, which he simply pondered on it.

Seeing Ukiah's brow furrow, Gobber asked "What are ya' thinkin' lad?"

"A lot of things actually." Ukiah replied, looking up at Gobber. Turning to Stoick, he then explained "Honestly, this helps me a ton. Just knowing what my people were like. It's just…" He paused, knowing he was going to be making Stoick uncomfortable. Almost hesitantly, he then carefully asked "How…how did you destroy a village made up entirely of warriors?"

Everyone in the room turned to watch Stoick, wondering what he would say. Hiccup stared at Stoick, realizing he was learning history about his dad that wouldn't have normally been talked about.

Stoick took a deep breath, slowly nodding his head in understanding. "Honestly Ukiah, it was a wonder that we even got a foothold on the beach. The only way I can say as to why we won, was because we outnumbered them three to one." Looking at Ukiah in the eyes, he then whispered "I'm sorry…I'm sorry I was part of it."

Ukiah could only nod, knowing that he was living with an incredible amount of guilt. Truth be told, he never blamed Stoick for what happened to his birthplace; because he was technically the reason why he was still alive. On two separate occasions. He took him and the remaining survivors from Crev to Thariin, and then saved him and Arrow from the arena. Well, at least from Strogg's village.

Turning to Gobber, he asked "What were my people like? I know they were warriors, but…what did they do? How did they interact with each other? Other tribes?"

"You'll have to ask Gothi about that." Gobber answered, looking at Ukiah apologetically "Besides, I think she can help you with something."

"Something being?" Ukiah quizzed, raising an eyebrow.

"Again, from the rumors I overheard, the Crev were almost shaman like. They meditated. I don't know if it was a pastime or a rite, but I've heard that on quite a few different accounts." Gobber explained, standing from his seat "Tell you what, after tomorrow's training, I'll make sure you get to ask Gothi all the questions you probably have. I promise."

"Why didn't we have her here with us?" Hiccup asked, also standing from his seat.

"I guess to warm Ukiah up. I'm sure she knows enough about him, that his head would pop off." Gobber replied with a smile.

Ukiah could only nod, as he was staring into nothing really. Though it wasn't the details he was hoping for, he learned enough to calm his mind. He was a warrior. By birth it sounded like. And if he had his family's experiences, he was going to do his best to make sure he used them to their fullest in defending his friends.

"Alrighty then, get some rest." Gobber jested, pulling Ukiah off the table. Pushing him, Hiccup and Astrid out of the shop, he then instructed "Get some rest. We're going to have a long day tomorrow."

Hiccup groaned, shaking his head as he walked out, with both Ukiah and Astrid following closely.

"Don'cha worry, Hiccup." Gobber teased, watching them walk towards their dragons "It's going to involve you using Toothless. All of your dragons actually."

Perked up with the flash of new information, the three jumped onto their respective dragons and flew off into the night; leaving Gobber and Stoick there in the shop.

"Thank you Gobber. I know his mind is a lot more at ease." Stoick whispered, watching the three fly away.

"Aye, I agree, Stoick." Gobber acknowledged "But…I just hope it didn't raise more questions. Or expectations."

"It did. We both know that." Stoick confirmed, looking over at his friend "Hopefully, Gothi can help him gain some closure with that. Especially with what his tribe was. She'll do a better job than me with explaining who the Crevites were."

"Guess we'll find out." Gobber replied with a smile "Come on. Let's go to the Great Hall before we call it a night."

* * *

"Today is about being creative." Gobber announced "Though you know the basics with fighting, and some of you may have experience under your belt; not a single battle will be exactly the same. You all need to learn how to adapt, and ultimately, how to overcome."

Astrid tossed her axe in the air, spinning it. Catching it in her other hand, she mentally prepared herself for the obstacles. Though she still thought it was a waste of time to keep on training like this, she resolved to be the best, so that there were no excuses to keep her and Stormfly from the fight.

"One team will defend a flag. Another will assault the flag. The defenders will take time to set up defenses anywhere they want to. The attacking team will then do whatever they need to, to get the flag." Gobber continued to announce "Also, there are no rules. Just don't kill each other, got it?"

The gang all shouted in agreement, excited to play the game that Gobber was using as training.

"Hey baby, ready to win this thing?" Snotlout asked, putting on a confident smile. Resting his arm on Astrid's shoulder, he then added "The two of us on a team seems to be pretty unfair."

"You know what, you're absolutely right about that Snotlout." Astrid replied, putting on a fake smile. Looking over at Gobber, she then called out "Gobber, Snotlout thinks that we shouldn't be on the same team. I agree with him!"

Gobber smirked at the two, knowing full well why Astrid was making a big deal of what he said. "Alright then Snotlout, twins, and Fishlegs; you're all defending. Go to Raven Point and prepare your defenses. Ukiah, Hiccup, and Astrid are going to attack."

Snotlout looked crushed, realizing his big mouth just separated him from Astrid. "But…but…" His mind raced to think of an excuse for him to stick with Astrid, which he finally spluttered "There's four people defending! That's unfair for the attackers. Let me switch over and even the playing field!"

"I want it to be unfair." Gobber replied sternly "They're going to have to be extra crafty to get past your defenses. Besides, we know Hiccup can think of a plan, so the more of you work together, the more you should be able to stump him." Pointing with his hook, he then ordered "Now get going! You have two hours to prepare! You can use your dragons for this training; but if you're tapped out, you're both done. Got it?"

Seeing everyone nod their heads, he then added "Fishlegs, you're in charge of the defenders. You all need to learn how to obey orders. Hiccup, you're in charge of attackers. Understand?" Again, everyone nodded, acknowledging what was instructed. "Good. I'm going to be watching the defenders. Hiccup; you, Astrid, and Ukiah don't leave until after two hours. You don't have to attack at that exact time, but you have to wait at least that long.

"Got it Gobber." Hiccup replied with a smile, watching him walk out of the arena.

Defeated, Snotlout grumpily climbed on Hookfang. Mumbling something to himself, he followed Fishlegs and the twins in the air, heading deeper towards Berk.

Ukiah looked over at Astrid and Hiccup, smiling as he did so. "Hey, we get to be on a team. Shouldn't be too hard, huh?"

"Well…" Hiccup began to say, stroking his chin as he thought about something "Fishlegs may be a quiet guy, and not really a fighter; but he's very smart, even a strategist. I can see him coming up with some clever ideas."

"You getting any ideas of your own?" Astrid asked. Then smirking at him, added "Chief Hiccup."

"You know that's the farthest thing from the truth." Hiccup huffed, rolling his eyes at the comment. Turning to Ukiah, he then announced "I'll be right back. I need to run to the blacksmith shop real quick. I actually do have an idea, one that I think will help us get an edge on them. If Fishlegs does what I think he'll do."

"Which is?" Ukiah asked, smiling at him curiously.

"I'll be right back. I'll explain what I'm thinking when I get what I'm looking for." Hiccup replied, turning to jump on Toothless "Shouldn't be too long."

"Ooookay?" Ukiah replied, raising an eyebrow at the explanation.

Watching the two take off and fly out of the arena, Ukiah and Astrid watched the two disappear. "Is he usually like that?" Ukiah asked, looking over at Astrid.

"Sudden? Leaving you guessing? Always thinking of something?" She said, turning to look at him. Smiling, she nodded, while adding "All the time."

Nodding, Ukiah just looked around the arena, trying to find something to fill his time with.

"How are you doing?" She asked, raising an eyebrow "I mean, with Gobber's conversation last night. Never had the chance to ask you."

"Well…I don't know." Ukiah began to say, looking down at the ground "It answered a few questions, but just opened up about a hundred more."

"Like?" She pushed, wanting to hear what he was thinking.

"What were my people like? I know they were warriors, but who were they? I still feel like I don't know who they are. Who I am." Ukiah whispered, still staring at the ground "And I guess I just wanted to see if I couldn't have learned who my parents were. That's probably my biggest question." Looking at Astrid, he confessed "All my life, I've never had a last name. I've always been Ukiah. Nothing more." Sighing, he shook his head as he added "But, I shouldn't dwell on what I don't have. I mean, I learned more about myself last night than I did my entire life! I can't forget that."

Astrid looked at him compassionately, trying to relate to him. "I don't think it's wrong to want to know more; especially when it's about yourself or your family."

Ukiah turned to face her, putting on a small, thankful smile. "Thanks Astrid. Means a lot to me that you and Hiccup care about me." No sooner had he finished saying that, he felt himself rammed in the back. Turning, he saw Arrow glaring at him with a stern look. "And Arrow of course." He jested, stroking one of the spikes along his head.

Arrow growled in satisfaction, rubbing his head against Ukiah's vest.

"Of course we care about you! I mean, I didn't jump in an arena to fight with you just because I thought it was fun!" Astrid replied, putting a smirk on her face. Placing a hand on her hip, she looked at him confidently, saying "I didn't want Arrow here to be a trophy for Strogg. It just so happened we saved you along the way."

Smiling at the joke, Ukiah shook his head. "Guess I'll thank my lucky stars that happened then."

Astrid then stood next to Ukiah, also petting Arrow. Soaking in the extra attention, Arrow promptly rubbed against Astrid, ignoring Ukiah.

"Great. Looks like you replaced me as his best friend." He huffed sarcastically, shaking his head at Arrow.

Astrid just laughed, scratching under the Sand Wraith's chin. Ukiah smiled as he looked at Astrid. There was no denying it, not that he was ever trying to; but he knew he liked her. A lot. Every day he spent with her, he felt more and more drawn to her. She was tough, she was kind, in her own way; and she was beautiful.

Not sure if he should, he decided to anyways. He was going to tell her how he felt. "He-Hey Astrid?" He stammered, nervous about what he was going to say. It was the first time he ever tried this. Shoot, it was first time he even liked someone.

"Yeah? What's up?" Astrid replied, turning to face him.

"I...I uh…" He continued to stammer, unsure of how to say the words in his head.

She just looked at him curiously, wondering what he was trying to say. The look she gave him didn't help his sudden loss in confidence. Letting out a frustrated sigh, he then shook his head while saying "I don't know how to say this; but ever since that night when I sold you that headband, you've been on my mind."

"What do you mean?" Astrid asked, suddenly a little alarmed at where this was heading.

"I think you're beautiful…" He finished softly, his face turning a vivid red. He looked away from her, almost ashamed that he told her.

Astrid looked at him with shock, only to blush and turn away from him as well. "Oh! Uh…thanks?" She whispered, trying not to sound surprised at the sudden comment.

The two stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do or say. Finally, after having enough silence, Ukiah began to apologize "Hey, sorry. I didn't mean to make it awkward. I just…I don't know what I was thinking. I just felt that I needed to tell you that."

"No! I didn't mean to look or sound ungrateful for the…compliment." Astrid replied, finally looking at Ukiah "It's just…well…it's just the first time anyone's actually told me that."

Ukiah gaped at her, surprised to hear that. "Really? Don't people have eyes?"

"They do. They just…No one ever told me before. They just look at me. Not tell me. Hiccup's the only person that actually became a friend because of who I am. Not just what I look like." Astrid explained, blushing as she talked.

"Hey, if there's something between you two, I don't want to mess that up." Ukiah quickly replied "I just thought I'd tell you that."

"Thank you, Ukiah." Astrid replied. Still blushing, she then whispered "And, no. There's nothing serious between us two. I like him, and think he's a pretty good guy, but…"

Ukiah's heart started to beat a like a Gronckle's wing flapping. He had no idea what she was going to say next.

"We're not serious. Not yet at least." She continued to say, almost hesitant. Looking at Ukiah, she then added "Let's…drop the subject. For now at least."

"Yeah, of course." He quickly agreed "I just…thanks. You've really helped me. Whether with learning how to fight, ride Arrow, or how to be part of a tribe; I had to say that, just to show you how much I appreciate yours and Hiccup's help."

Astrid relaxed a little, seeing that he was being grateful. Putting a small smile, she acknowledged it by saying "If I didn't want to help, I wouldn't have." Then with a more stern voice, said "Now that we got that out of the way, how about we fight each other? Practice a little bit while we wait."

Nodding in agreement, Ukiah slung his crossbow around from his back. "Sounds good to me. I don't care if fighting's in my blood; I need to keep practicing."

Smiling, Astrid drew her axe and went into a defensive stance, ready for Ukiah to be aggressive again.

Laughing, Ukiah charged at her, blocking a strike with his crossbow arms; and not noticing an angry pair of eyes watching the two down in the arena. With a huff, the figure walked towards away from the arena and towards the forest.


	16. Chapter 16

_**Chapter Sixteen**_

"Alright, you guys ready?" Hiccup asked, turning to face Astrid and Ukiah following him closely. It was twilight, as the sun began to sink into the ocean.

"I would be, if you told me what I should be ready for!" Astrid breathed out angrily, her eyes narrowing in frustration. Glancing at a stuffed dummy, strapped to her saddle, she asked "What are we doing with these again?"

When Hiccup returned, he was carrying a series of bags stuffed with wool, some buttons, and cloth. Refusing to tell them exactly what he was planning, he had the two help him stitch three dummies together. He purposely waited longer during the day so they could attack during the night, since Gobber gave them permission to leave whenever they wanted; which the idea of fighting in the dark thrilled Ukiah.

"Alright, I guess now's as good as time as any." Hiccup replied, grinning over at Astrid "I wanted to make three dummies, placing them randomly around Raven Point, confusing them. While they're busy with our dummies, we go in and take the flag."

"Aren't we attacking?" Ukiah asked, looking at Hiccup with confusion "Why would they come looking for us?"

"Because Fishlegs is in charge." Hiccup answered "I'd imagine he'd have a patrol trying to find us. Which I'm guessing would be Snotlout, keeping the twins to help defend the flag. Keeping three to defend in case Snotlout doesn't spot us."

"Do you think they'd actually listen to him though?" Astrid asked, gliding closer to Hiccup "Snotlout barely listens to you."

"Gobber's there with them. I'd imagine if they want to pass in his book, they'll do what he told them." Hiccup explained, guiding Toothless to fly lower in the trees "Besides, the dummies are just a bonus if they find them. What I want them to find is our dragons."

"Start explaining." Astrid growled, shaking her head at the new information.

"Except for Toothless, for obvious reasons. I want Arrow and Stormfly to fly over Raven Point." Hiccup continued to expound "To serve two purposes. One, it draws their attention away from us. When they realize that we're not on our dragons, I'm hoping they'll go and search for us. Hopefully finding our dummies."

"The second reason is what then?" Ukiah asked, nodding in understanding, seeing what Hiccup was trying to do.

"To find out where they are." Hiccup quickly replied "We know they're at Raven Point, but we don't know where exactly. We let our dragons fly over, and if they chase after them, we'll know where to head." Looking at Astrid, he then added "Toothless will come with us. We'll be under his wings to help cloak us. When we arrive to where ever they're camped, we'll split up and hit them from different sides. Oh yeah, I should also mention that we're not getting the flag."

Both Ukiah and Astrid let out a long, vented sigh, giving up on trying to follow Hiccup and his plan.

Smiling, he explained "The way I see it, if we beat all four of them, then we win. With the flag or not."

Seeing what Hiccup was actually planning for, Ukiah smiled as he commented "You're changing the game. They'll be focused on the flag, and not on themselves."

"Exactly." Hiccup replied, smiling wider.

"Sounds good to me." Astrid also said, nodding in agreement "Where did you want to land?"

"Right there. On that hill." Hiccup answered, guiding Toothless to land "I want to see where they fly from, so we can head in the right direction on the ground."

Before anyone could say anything, Hiccup quickly landed Toothless and dismounted. Ukiah and Astrid quickly, and quietly followed suit. Untying their individual dummies from their saddles, they then whispered to their dragons "Alright friend, time to split up. Follow Stormfly." and "Don't worry girl, we'll be back before midnight."

Arrow didn't want to leave Ukiah, remembering last time they were separated. Looking at him with his jaded green eyes, he softly growled at him, as if begging him not send him away.

"Sorry Arrow, but we need you to draw them out for us." Ukiah quietly explained, getting onto his knees and stroking one of his spikes "It'll help us hurry and finish this stupid trial."

"Ugh, don't remind me." Astrid growled, rolling her eyes. Of all reasons not to defend their home, there wasn't a single one that really was an argument; and it still bugged her.

"Go on friend. We'll only be an hour or two." Ukiah whispered, standing up and stepping back from the anxious Sand Wraith.

Arrow just whimpered, still wishing he could stay with his rider. As Stormfly launched into the air, Arrow reluctantly followed; bolting right behind her.

Watching them fly away, Hiccup turned to see Ukiah was climbing up a tree. His crossbow hanging loosely on his back, he then leapt up and grabbed a branch hanging just out reach. Grunting, he pulled himself up and promptly sat down on it.

"See anything?" Hiccup asked, looking up at Ukiah.

"Not yet." He answered, shaking his head. Looking down at Hiccup and Astrid, he then said "Hey, Hiccup? Can I add to your idea with the dummies?"

"Go ahead." Hiccup replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Let's light a fire near them." Ukiah suggested "That'll basically signal them to come check it out, just in case they don't fly after Arrow and Stormfly."

"That's a good idea, probably didn't need to send our dragons away." Astrid commented, looking over at Hiccup.

"Well, if they see our dragons, they'll know we're out here." Hiccup quickly answered, defending his idea.

"Oh, there you go." Ukiah called down, looking out over the trees "Snotlout and Hookfang chasing our dragons. They came from over that way." Ukiah pointed in a north-west direction.

"Hiccup…isn't that the same way as the cove?" Astrid asked, glancing over at him.

"It'd make sense. If they put the flag in the center of the cove, we'd be forced to break cover to get it." Hiccup replied, watching Ukiah climb down. With a grin growing on his face, he then added "Good thing we're not going for the flag."

"Great, let's go." Ukiah grunted, dropping the rest of the way. Picking up his dummy, he asked "Where do we want to set these guys up?"

"In between here and the cove." Hiccup replied, shouldering his and starting to walk through the forest. Toothless followed, doing his best to cover the three with his wings. "I like the idea that we start a campfire for 'us'. Make it look like we're planning something. And we'll be able to tell where they're at when they fly over."

Astrid then suggested "What if one of us stays with the dummies? We could jump them while they investigate the fire and dummies."

Hiccup look hesitant at first, thinking about the suggestion "But if they send two riders, even if they weren't the twins, that person would be out numbered."

"We're outnumbered anyways!" Astrid cried out, glaring at Hiccup.

Before anyone could say anything, Ukiah suddenly crouched on the ground, blending in with the brush. Everyone stopped, even Toothless. Ukiah turned to face Hiccup and Astrid, raising a finger to his lips. In one smooth motion, he grabbed his crossbow and slung it around. Aiming it down the sights, he just stayed still.

Confused at what he saw, Astrid then heard a snap. Glancing in the direction, she then heard more brush get pushed aside. Readying her axe, she waited for the source of the noise to show itself.

Ukiah held his breath, freezing in place. Waiting for a few seconds, he squeezed the trigger. Sch-thunk! The blunt bolt sailed forwards, disappearing from all their view.

"Ow! What the?!" A voice shouted, confusing the three hiding. It wasn't a voice that they were expecting. "Who shot me? Show yourselves!"

Hiccup, Astrid and Ukiah stood up and walked to where the voice was shouting, still confused at who Ukiah hit. Walking into a clearing, they were surprised to see Murky standing there, rubbing his forehead vigorously. At his feet was a spilled bag of supplies.

"Murky? What are you doing out here?" Hiccup asked, picking up the bag and handing it to him.

"Hmph!" Murky growled "Just seeing Mildew, on the other side of the island." Looking at the three, he then demanded "Why did you shoot an old man?"

"Doing the training sessions you demanded we do." Ukiah huffed, his eyes narrowing. He was still angry with Murky being such a hindrance to Stoick. And the simple act of hostility towards him.

"I see that you need more training, seeing that you shot an old man that lives in the village you're fighting for." He growled, glaring back at Ukiah.

Ukiah couldn't say anything back, knowing it would just give Murky more reason to keep him from helping fight. Begrudgingly, he bit his tongue and looked away.

"Sorry about that Murky, we were thinking you were someone we're practicing to fight." Hiccup continued to say, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly "I don't even know how Ukiah saw you."

"Hmph." Murky grunted, glaring at Hiccup "You're a good boy Hiccup, I've always liked you. But you should talk some sense into your father about going to war with Strogg. We're doomed before we even start."

"Is that your attitude?" Astrid asked, disgusted with Murky's comment "Just let Strogg take what he wants and kill whoever he pleases?"

"Better someone else than us." Murky growled back, glaring at Ukiah. Pointing his walking stick at him, he then said "Stoick may want to protect you, but I don't. And no one is going to make me want to spill my blood for you."

Hiccup glanced awkwardly between the two, unsure of what to say to that.

Ukiah just glared back at Murky, staying silent for a moment. Then after what felt like ages for Hiccup and Astrid, he simply replied "That's fine. I'm not going to fight for you. I'm fighting for everyone that's adopted me into your tribe."

"Which will all die because they did take you in!" Murky yelled. Then, growling quietly, whispered "Strogg killed your people. What'll stop him from doing the same here? Face it, you've doomed us with the same fate that your tribe suffered. You're the reason we're all going to die."

Ukiah felt like he was punched in the gut. Trying to regain his breath, he just stared at Murky. He was right. He was the reason why Berk was going to fight, but he didn't realize that those he cared about had a high chance of being killed too.

"Get out of here Murky!" Astrid growled, grabbing Ukiah and pulling him aside "We got a training session to finish, because of you!"

"It won't matter. We'll all be dead." Murky spat, walking past the three "Can't believe I'm the only sensible one in the entire tribe!"

Astrid glared at Murky as he disappeared into the trees. Shaking her head, she asked "What's gotten into his head? He's never really been that standoffish before."

"I don't know. Maybe just the potential of what could happen." Hiccup replied, also shaking his head.

"He's right. We're gonna lose." Ukiah whispered, staring into nothing "I should've known better than to drag you guys into this."

"What?! What are you talking about Ukiah?" Astrid gasped, staring at him with wide eyes.

"My people were warriors. Strogg only had a few ships, and he still won." Ukiah whispered hoarsely, not looking at either of them "Now he's got a fleet and an army…" Finally looking up, he stared at the two, whispering "I've killed you."

"Are you really listening to Murky?!" Astrid roared, her eyes burning with anger "We won't win if we all get that attitude!"

"But you would win if I gave myself to Strogg…" Ukiah whispered, his head perking slightly at the idea he gave himself. He didn't have much time to think about it, as he was interrupted by a sudden pain in his shoulder. Wham! His shoulder went numb, and the rest of his arm ached in pain. Gasping, he stared at Astrid who was stomping off in the direction that Murky disappeared to.

"Astrid? Where're you going?" Hiccup called out, shocked at what he just watched.

"To get Murky. I've got a few choice words I want to say to him!" She shouted, disappearing completely.

"Astrid! The plan!" Hiccup called out, even though he knew it was pointless. Letting out a sigh, he turned and looked at Ukiah, who took a seat on a fallen log. Sitting next to him, he quietly asked "Do you really believe that we're going to lose?"

"I don't know Hiccup…" Ukiah whispered hoarsely, burying his head into his hands. Taking a few deep breaths, he then whispered "I want to think we could pull this off, but…" His voice trailed off, not able to finish his thought.

"What? But what?" Hiccup pressed, looking at Ukiah with concern.

"Is it worth it? Am I worth all the death that's going to come?" He finally choked out, looking at Hiccup with tears in his eyes "People are going to die Hiccup. You're friends, neighbors, maybe even your dad. Maybe…you. Am I worth it?"

Hiccup just looked at him, realizing what was really bothering Ukiah. Looking down at the ground, he stared at his feet. Seeing the metal prosthetic, his mind began to put together exactly what to say to Ukiah. "You know. I don't think it's the end that matters."

"What do you mean, Hiccup?" Ukiah whispered, now resuming his stare into the ground.

"I mean, I didn't fight the Red Death because I knew what was going to happen. I did it because it was what I needed to do." Hiccup explained "I didn't kill Toothless because it wasn't right, not because I knew that we were going to be best friends." Looking at Ukiah, he added "You were going to kill yourself in Strogg's arena because you knew it wasn't right that Arrow suffered because of you."

"Like it isn't right that you should suffer because of me!" Ukiah quickly retorted, glaring at Hiccup.

"Arrow didn't have a choice. We do." Hiccup countered, looking back at Ukiah "We chose to help you Ukiah. Not because we know we're going to win, but because it's the right thing to do. It was never about what happens after, it's about what we do right now."

Ukiah went into a small flashback when Gobber was addressing the men of Berk. "It's never been what can someone can do for us, it's what can we do for someone else." Gobber's voice echoed. Letting out a long sigh, Ukiah finally let a small smile appear on his face "You know Hiccup, I still don't like the idea of you guys suffering because of me; but I feel better about you helping me." Staring at Hiccup in the eyes, he whispered "Thank you."

"No problem, Ukiah." Hiccup replied with growing smile "Come on, let's go get Astrid. We still need to set ou-"

"Ah-hah!" A voice shouted from behind the two.

Toothless roared as a net fell on him. Before Hiccup or Ukiah could help, they were pushed forward onto their stomachs in the dirt.

Trying to get up, Ukiah felt a spear tip poke him in the back. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Snotlout holding an axe to Hiccup's side.

"We won!" Snotlout jeered, smirking at Hiccup.

"Wait. Where's Astrid?" Fishlegs asked aloud, walking into view.

"Somewhere." Hiccup replied, looking up at Fishlegs.

"Hmm…no problem. We can use you to draw her to us!" Fishlegs replied, smiling at the fortune "You guys didn't tap them out yet, did you?"

"Not yet!" Ruffnut shouted with a wide smile.

"Not so tough now, are you!" Tuffnut added, prodding Ukiah with his spear tip.

Ukiah just blew a breath of hot air, trying to vent his frustration of being 'captured'. Feeling his arms grabbed, he then stood up. Hiccup was hoisted up similarly.

"Is she close by?" Fishlegs asked, looking at Hiccup.

"Don't know." Hiccup replied simply.

"Hmm…well, I guess we're not done yet." Fishlegs announced "Twins, take Hiccup and Ukiah to the cove; Snotlout, after we help tie their hands in front of them, we're going to look for Astrid.

"Oh good!" Snotlout cried out in joy, excited at the thought of searching for Astrid.

"Come on, turn around." Fishlegs instructed. Smiling, he then added "I'll be honest Hiccup, I didn't think I'd be able to beat you!"

"Yeah, good job Fishlegs." Hiccup replied, a hint of teasing in his voice. Turning around, he stuck his hands out in front of him as Snotlout fumbled with a rope. "Won't lie, I wasn't expecting all four of you to be out here looking for us."

Ukiah also did the same, with Ruffnut holding her spear straight at him and Tuffnut readying his coil. Then it hit him. He saw what he could do. Letting Tuffnut get a little closer, he reached out and grabbed the shaft of the spear.

"Hey!" Ruffnut shouted, but was cut off as the butt end of the spear swiped across her face.

Not stopping, Ukiah brought it across Tuffnut's face, knocking him down. Leaping backwards, he twirled the spear to where he was holding it in a defensive position. Snotlout dropped the rope, focusing on Ukiah. Unfortunately for him, he and Fishlegs never disarmed Hiccup. As fast as he could, Hiccup drew his dagger and tapped Snotlout out; hitting the flat side of the blade against Snotlout's side.

"Oh, what?!" He cried out, shocked at what happened.

"Oh no!" Fishlegs cried out, realizing they were about to lose. Hiccup whirled around, brandishing his shield and faced off against Fishlegs.

Ukiah paid no attention, as he finished tapping Tuffnut out with the flat end of the spear. Ignoring the angry twin, he then swung the spear around his head, knocking the helmet off of Ruffnut.

"Ow!" She cried out, rubbing her head "You already hit me in the face!"

"You're out." He huffed, finally relaxing. Looking over at Fishlegs, he stood alongside Hiccup, ready to take down Fishlegs.

Glancing frantically between the two, he froze solid. Before Ukiah and Hiccup could move around him, he flung his hands up in the air.

"Great…our fearless leader." Snotlout groaned sarcastically, shaking his head at Fishlegs.

"Well, that does it." Hiccup joked, looking at Ukiah "That went a lot simpler than I was planning. Thanks to your quick hands."

"I just saw an opportunity." Ukiah shrugged, also smiling "So far, that gift or whatever it is, it's been pretty helpful!"

"Good job Hiccup, Ukiah." Gobber's voice rang out. Walking into the clearing, he pulled the net off of Toothless "You two did well fighting while being out numbered, and not having your dragons to help you."

"Told you we should have brought our dragons." Tuffnut huffed at Fishlegs, shaking his head.

"So…where's Astrid?" Gobber asked, looking around.

Hiccup shrugged, answering "I don't know. We ran into Murky out here, and he…" Glancing at Ukiah, he just said "He said somethings that made her mad. I think she went after him."

"What was Murky doing out here?" Gobber asked, an eyebrow raised.

"He said he was going to see Mildew." Hiccup answered again "He had a pack of supplies."

"That's…strange." Gobber puzzeled, obviously confused at the answer "This isn't any way to get to Mildew's…"

Ukiah's heart started to beat like crazy, as if the fight never ended. Looking in the direction of where she ran off to, he was about to say something when Hiccup cut him off. "Ukiah and I will go find her. I imagine you have another training session for us tomorrow huh?"

"Righty-o, Hiccup." Gobber replied with a smile. Ignoring the groans from the others, he explained "Better get to bed. We're going to start sparring with some of Berk's mightiest warriors. Including Stoick the Vast."

"Oh good. I was thinking he was going to ignore us." Hiccup muttered, shaking his head. Looking at Ukiah, who was still staring at where Astrid ran off too, he asked "Want to come with me, Ukiah?"

"Uh, yeah. I'd like to." He quickly replied, shaking his head to get out of the trance he was in.

"See you tomorrow Gobber." Hiccup said, smiling as he, Ukiah, and Toothless began to walk deeper into the forest.

"See ya' in the morning." Gobber called out, walking with the rest, and ignoring Snotlout's cry's to let him go look for Astrid as well.

Walking through the trees, Ukiah quickly slung his crossbow around and unloaded the blunt arrow. Locking in a real one, he kept it ready to fire. His hunter habit's kicked in, where he crouched and silently glided along the ground.

"You getting that feeling too?" Hiccup whispered, crouching down and following, though a bit louder than Ukiah.

"You had a bad feeling?" Ukiah asked, not taking his eyes off from his surroundings.

"Right when Gobber mentioned this wasn't the way to Mildew's. I knew something was wrong. Murky had enough supplies to stay out here for a few days!" Hiccup replied quietly "And I never thought he was the kind of guy that liked to camp."

Ukiah only nodded, peering through a thicket of trees. "That's when I got the feeling too. Besides that, Astrid would have come back by now if she heard we were in trouble. Right?"

"I'd think so. I hope she didn't hurt Murky to bad. He's still an old man." Hiccup jested quietly, using his shield to push some shrubs out of the way.

Ukiah didn't say anything. Something was off, and he wasn't sure what. Stopping, he kneeled down on the ground to look for any kind of clue. Staring at the dirt, he found what he was hoping for. A single boot print, leading to a series of steps that led to their right. "This way." He whispered, following the tracks and keeping an eye out for anything.

Following them through a grove of trees, he saw that they led through a small thicket. Moving around the thicket, he saw something that disturbed him. Leaves were scattered all round, showing that something happened.

"What is it?" Hiccup asked, peering at where Ukiah staring, not seeing what he saw.

"I'm…not sure." He whispered, crawling very slowly towards the scattered leaves. Making sure there was nothing watching them, he started to observe the ground. He easily found the foot prints again, but also found another pair. Looking a little bit ahead, he found two long skid marks in the dirt and going deeper into the forest; like something was being dragged. Glancing back at the thicket, he saw on small bush crushed, as if something fell on it. His stomach felt like it had a pit in it. His heart began to race even faster than during the scuffle. "Hiccup…I think something bad happened here…" He began to whisper.

"Think? I know something bad happened. And it was to Astrid." Hiccup answered behind him.

Turning around, he saw something that scared him half to death. Hiccup was standing there, with a terrified expression; all the while holding Astrid's axe.


	17. Chapter 17

_**Chapter Seventeen**_

"No…" Ukiah whispered, staring at the axe. His blood froze as he quickly snatched the axe from Hiccup "Where did you find it?!"

"Under the leaves over here." Hiccup frantically answered, pointing to where he found it. Looking at Ukiah with worry, he asked "Who do you think got her? Murky? How?"

"I don't know…" Ukiah whispered, trying to calm his thoughts. As far as his tribe's ability to remain calm during intense situations, he was finding that to be very difficult to do. Facing back to look at the skid marks he found "But it looks like she was being dragged that way."

"Come on! We have to catch them!" Hiccup loudly yelled, running past Ukiah with Toothless close behind.

"Hold on, Hiccup!" Ukiah called out, grabbing his shoulder "I don't want to end up in the same position as Astrid! Let me take the lead. I don't want to exactly follow these tracks. Let's hang to the side a bit and move quietly. Ok?"

Hiccup stared at Ukiah, realizing the wisdom in what he was suggesting. Slowly nodding, Hiccup whispered "Sorry, Ukiah. I just…I don't know what happened…or why it happened. If it is Murky, why would he do this?"

Realizing that Hiccup cared a great deal about Astrid, similar to how he felt, Ukiah simply nodded. "Come on, we'll find her." He whispered. Then putting his finger on his lips, he crouched and moved along the tracks, about five feet away. Hiccup followed closely, after having strapped Astrid's axe to his saddle on Toothless. Toothless himself creeped slowly behind the two, being eerily quiet. Ukiah made a mental note that Night Furies were able to sneak on the ground as well as fly almost invisible.

"Why are they leading this way?" Hiccup asked quietly, sounding confused.

"What do you mean?" Ukiah asked, not letting his eyes rest from staring at the tracks to their right. His ears also were tuned to anything that might have sounded out of the ordinary.

"Where these tracks lead, it's heading to a rocky bay." Hiccup explained "There's only cliff faces and rocks. They go to nowhere…"

Ukiah's brow furrowed, also puzzling over the mystery. Not only about where they were heading, but why Murky would kidnap Astrid to begin with. "How far is the bay you're talking about?"

"Shouldn't be too far." Hiccup replied quietly "A few hundred feet at most."

"…You're sure no one followed you..." a voice sounded, barely audible.

Ukiah froze in place, with Hiccup and Toothless doing the same. Signaling for them to stay put, Ukiah crept forward as silent as possible, almost like a ghost.

"…Aye, though I'm sure her friends will try to find her…" A second voice replied, getting louder as he crept closer.

Crawling behind a thicket, Ukiah peered through a small opening. He couldn't see who was talking, only their legs. But the sight that made him flare up in anger, was Astrid lying unconscious between the two people talking. It didn't take him long to figure out one of them was Murky, but the other was wearing some kind of armor. His view of the knee down didn't help either.

"We could tie her to a tree and leave her. She won't know what got her." Murky suggested, lightly tapping her motionless body with his foot.

"She'll know you're involved in something." The stranger grunted, a little angry at the idea "No, we're taking her back to our camp. I'll have guards posted to intercept her friends, if they come." After a moment pause, the stranger growled "You should have gone back with her Murky. Now that you took her with you, it's only a matter of time before her friends figure out she's missing."

"Bah, by that time, they'll be preoccupied with Strogg and his fleet tomorrow." Murky huffed, blowing off the concern.

Ukiah's blood froze. Strogg?! Was Murky working with him?

Seeing the stranger pick up Astrid, he then heard "Come on Murky. Let's see what we can do to get out of this mess you created for us. I don't even know how you were able to knock her out in the first place! I've seen her fight! Malke was struggling to get an advantage when he fought her."

"It was easy when she turned her back to me. All I had to say was 'I'll come and apologize'. Heh, she never saw it coming." Murky replied. Pausing, he then added "At least you have a prisoner now." Trying to cover up his screw up, he kept on saying "That'll keep others from trying to get to you."

"Shut up Murky…" The stranger replied quietly, disappearing into a thicket "Strogg was impressed with this girl; if anything, he'll keep her as a statement to Stoick and the others, after he kills…" His voice faded as they walked farther away.

Ukiah's blood boiled, hearing that she was going to be kept as a trophy. Crawling back, he was surprised to see Hiccup was already next to him.

"I can't believe it…" He whispered, shaking his head "Murky…is a traitor?"

"And the reason Astrid's in that mess!" Ukiah growled. Then a thought hit him. She was in this mess because of him! She went to get Murky because of the way he was acting! Shaking his head, he whispered "I'm such an idiot…"

"What was that?" Hiccup asked, not hearing what Ukiah huffed.

"Nothing. We're going to get her back." Ukiah growled, his rage starting to build. Using it to motivate himself, he then said "Come on, let's see where they're taking her."

They crawled after Murky and the stranger, being careful not to make too much noise and to give their position away. Toothless crept slowly behind them, unfortunately, unable to go through the same thicket they crawled under.

"Stay there bud, I'll be back for you in a second." Hiccup whispered, ushering him to stay.

Toothless let out a quiet growl, understanding what Hiccup was asking. Laying down, he almost turned invisible in the darkness. Smiling, Hiccup turned to follow Ukiah, who was now laying down on the ground, peering at something.

"Hey…Hiccup…" Ukiah whispered, a hint of shock and worry in his voice "We may have walked into a bigger problem…"

Lying next to Ukiah, Hiccup saw exactly what Ukiah was meaning. Next to the cliff that over looked the bay, he saw a camp of twenty or so people. A few huddled around a small campfire, others posted as sentries, and a handful sleeping under hastily thrown up lean-to's; built out of branches and other foliage, it was a perfectly camoflauged camp. "Oh good…I was thinking it was going to be too easy to get her back." Hiccup huffed sarcastically, staring at the camp.

"Look, there she is." Ukiah pointed out.

Sure enough, there she was. Draped over the shoulder of the stranger, he watched her get set down into one of the many lean-tos. Two guards stood next to where she lay, talking to the stranger. Murky, was busy setting his stuff out next to the campfire, sharing a few of his supplies with the soldiers.

Staring at the camp, a thought came to his mind. Looking over at Hiccup, who was gripping the dirt angrily as he could only watch Astrid, he asked "How good is your and Toothless' stealth?"

"Got an idea?" Hiccup asked, glancing at Ukiah.

"Kind of. It gets her out of here, and us in a position to get some reinforcements." Ukiah answered, looking over the camp "Get Toothless and fly in the air. Blast the center of the camp, and disappear for a second."

"While you do what, exactly?" Hiccup asked, raising an eybrow.

"I'm going pick these invaders off, one-by-one. I'm hoping that they'll be focused on you." Ukiah explained "By the time they realize I'm here, I'll lead them on a foot chase; whoever's left at least."

Hiccup put the plan together in his head, saying "Letting me have an open shot for Astrid."

"Exactly. And to take her back to Berk." Ukiah added "I need you to tell your dad what's happening. Get Arrow for me, and whoever else wants to fight. We're going to end these guys"

Hiccup nodded, though appeared hesitant about something "What…what about you? Are you going to be able to hide from these guys while I'm heading back to Berk?"

"I'm not hiding. I'm taking the fight to them." Ukiah growled, readying his crossbow "I plan on you hurrying and helping me out."

"No, that's way too risky!" Hiccup hissed, glaring at Ukiah.

"Riskier than trying to sneak into the camp, past the posted sentries, past the two guards around her, and then get out without alerting the rest of camp?" Ukiah growled, returning a glare of his own "You have Toothless, you're the fastest way to get news to Stoick; and to get Astrid out of here. Besides, I plan on finishing these guys off with the rest of you guys. Not by myself."

Hiccup continued to glare at him, still not liking the plan. "Fine, but don't do anything that isn't necessary! Wait for us to help you!"

"I'll avoid them Hiccup, trust me. This is my arena, not theirs." Ukiah acknowledged "Now get going! Wait until you see most of the camp running after me, got it?"

"Got it. Be careful Ukiah." Hiccup whispered, crawling back to where he left Toothless.

Ukiah then silently dumped his quiver full of blunts. Grabbing the handful of real bolts he kept on himself, he slid them behind a belt to hold them in place. Making sure they were secure, he kept an extra one nearby. He already has his two prey selected. As much as he wanted Murky, he resolved to ensure the two guards next to Astrid weren't going to be near her when Hiccup would go pick her up.

Watching the camp, he saw the stranger that was their apparent leader, walk out from a lean-to. He was wearing different trimmed armor. Then the object he recognized. A decorated shield, with a picture of a slain dragon. It was a champion! Which one, he didn't know, but it didn't matter. It made sense given the conversation he overheard. He saw Astrid fight, and knew that Strogg wanted her. He was his next target after the guards.

Slowly, a whistle began to sound off; starting very slowly, but gradually getting louder. Growing into a high pitched scream, Ukiah braced himself. It was a sound he grew to love, knowing full well what was going to happen.

"Night Fury!" A soldier screamed recognizing the distinct scream.

Boom! A blue explosion went off in the center of the camp, creating a pandemonium among the soldiers. The whistling sound blew over, indicating Toothless just flew overhead. Focusing on the two guards, he aimed his crossbow and held his breath.

"Get the bolas out!" The champion roared, running through a pocket of fire "Get ready to take it down!"

"How?!" A soldier asked loudly, twirling a pair of bolas and scanning the sky nervously "It's a Night Fury for Odin's sake! You can't see it!"

"Stop telling me what you can't do, and just do what I ordered!" The champion screamed, also scanning the night sky.

"Ogghhh…" a voice sounded to his left. Glancing over, he saw one of the two guards he had posted over his prisoner fallen over and motionless. Both were on the ground actually.

"What the…" He whispered, jogging over to them. As he inspected one of them, he saw a crossbow bolt sticking out of the neck of the guard. Just as he realized what happened, he felt a stinging lightning bolt slam into his side. The shock factor then registered, causing him to collapse. "Gah!" He roared painfully. Looking at his side, a single crossbow bolt stuck out of where his metal plates were connected. The thin metal that served as the latch for chest and back plate couldn't stop the bolt from entering, but had indeed saved his life. "We're under attack!" He roared, rolling onto his hands and knees. Crawling behind a lean-to, he continued to shout "There's an archer in the trees! Find him!" At that, Ugo tried to pull the bolt out, which was harder than he thought.

Ukiah cursed quietly, angry that he didn't take many of the attackers as he wanted to. Standing up in the brush, he aimed, and fired a bolt into a soldier who was still scanning the sky, knocking him down.

"There he is!" A voice shouted, which made Ukiah book it into the trees.

"After him!" Ugo shouted painfully "Everyone get him! I want him alive!"

A crowd of the remaining soldiers charged in the direction of where Ukiah disappeared to, leaving Ugo and Murky, who was helping him.

"No one followed you huh?" Ugo growled, glaring at Murky "Seems that a Night Fury found us…"

"I didn't see them!" Murky defended "I waited to see if anyone was coming! I promise Ug-"

"Shut up and help me get this bolt out." Ugo grunted, shifting to sit up "Never mind that Ukiah was a hunter and probably tracked you!"

Murky was defeated, knowing that it was his fault that Ugo's camp was discovered.

"Rwooaarr!" A familiar roar sounded, causing both men to whirl around and gape at the Night Fury that basically fell out of the darkness. Landing, Toothless snarled at the two as Hiccup leapt off and ran to where Astrid lay.

"Wait…they ride their dragons?! You never told me that Murky!" Ugo gaped, staring at the black Night Fury. The Night Fury was different too, at least from the one they had back in Thariin.

Hiccup ignored them, running to Astrid and grabbing her arm. Shouldering her, he essentially dragged her to Toothless, all the while glaring at Murky. Making sure Astrid wouldn't fall off, he leapt onto Toothless, which he then said "Don't bother coming back Murky. You're dead to us." At that, Toothless launched into the air, disappearing into the night.

Watching where they flew off to, Ugo groaned in anger and frustration. He had a prisoner that Strogg wanted, and could have used her as leverage over Stoick. Now that was all blown away. They were on a time limit now, and he was going to make the most of his position behind Berk. "We've got to move…" He grunted, trying to stand up "We need to do as much damage as we can for Strogg's fleet."

"B-but I'm not a soldier!" Murky began to argue, only to cut off by Ugo grabbing his throat.

"I don't care!" He hissed in pain, with the bolt still in his side "You're the reason we're in this mess! You're coming with us!"

Murky could only nod, unable to breathe or speak.

"Good. Now, lead the way to Berk. We'll pick up some of my men on our way." Ugo growled, letting go of Murky and limping into the trees.

Gasping for breath, he rubbed his throat to massage the pain away. Sulking back behind Ugo, Mukry couldn't help but regret his choice to survive the war.

* * *

Gobber walked through the two massive doors into the Great Hall, smiling widely.

Stoick, who was busy talking to a few villagers and preparing for the upcoming fight, noticed his happy looking friend. "Gobber? What's got you so happy?"

"Oh nothing, Stoick." Gobber replied, taking a seat and filling his mug of a hand with a drink "Nothing other than Hiccup, Ukiah, and Astrid proved to be more than ready to fight. Your council should be satisfied with those three at least."

"Hiccup too?" Stoick asked in surprise.

"Aye, he's a clever one Stoick. You knew that before we had them do this." Gobber answered, taking a large swig from his drink. Wiping his mouth, he then added "Granted, none of those kids need more training. They need more experience."

"I know, Gobber." Stoick huffed, turning to the rest of the men he was talking to "We'll finish this tomorrow. Get some rest and get ready to start building up our walls and catapults."

After several acknowledgements, Stoick took a seat alongside his friend. "Did he really impress you that much?"

"Hiccup? Yes, he's a lot stronger that he was, even two months ago." Gobber replied, smiling at Stoick "I can't imagine what he'll look like a year or two from now."

"Aye…me too." Stoick whispered, feeling proud of his son. He was different, not like any other Viking on Berk; or anywhere for that matter. But that's what made him, well, Hiccup. Relishing in the proud feeling he had, he turned to Gobber and asked "The others? How did they do?"

"Eh…they're just inexperienced." Gobber answered, shrugging his shoulders "They're able, but just lack that important piece of any warrior."

"Hmmm…" Stoick growled, shaking his head "And yet the council won't let them get that experience…"

Suddenly a commotion started to sound at the door way. Looking over, they saw Hiccup run through the small crowd, Toothless following closely with Astrid lying limp on him. "Dad! Dad!" He shouted, running towards Stoick and Gobber.

"Son, what's going on?" Stoick asked, alarmed at the tone of Hiccup's voice "What's wrong with Astrid?"

"She's hurt! Unconscious!" Hiccup cried out, stopping and trying to pull her off.

"I got her, Hiccup." Gobber quickly said, switching his mug hand for a hook. Seconds later, he was carrying her to a clear table.

"What happened?" Stoick asked again, making Hiccup look at him.

"Murky…Murky betrayed us!" Hiccup cried out, his words rolling out at a hundred miles an hour.

"Son!" Stoick shouted, gently shaking Hiccup "Slow down and start from the beginning!"

Taking a few breaths, and finally relaxing, he began to explain "Ukiah and I went to find Astrid after the training session. We found out Murky knocked her out and took her to a camp. One of Strogg's captains, or champions; whatever he's calling them, was there! They were holding her prisoner when Ukiah drew the camps attention away!"

"Murky…with some of Strogg's men?" Stoick asked, staring at his son intently "Here already on Berk? Are you sure?"

"Yeah, there aren't very many of them. Twenty, maybe twenty five. I saw that unique looking ship in the bay on the north side of island." Hiccup expounded "That's probably how they got there ahead of the rest of Strogg's fleet. Ukiah drew the camp to chase him, leaving Astrid unguarded. Toothless and I swept in and grabbed her." Looking over at Astrid, he quietly added "I spared Murky…"

Stoick just nodded, knowing his son wouldn't want to kill anyone if he didn't have to. "Where's Ukiah now?"

Hiccup's head snapped towards his dad, realizing that he had forgotten about helping Ukiah "He's still out there! He's planning on me bringing Arrow and others to finish them off at Raven Point!"

"Go get him!" He roared, realizing Ukiah was fighting by himself "Get him away from Strogg's men, and keep him away until I get there with a group of men! Don't fight them without us, understand?"

"Sure! I'll go get him! But what about Astrid?" Hiccup asked, looking up at his dad with worry.

"She'll be fine, son. Just go and get Ukiah! If they capture or kill him, us fighting Strogg will be for nothing!" Stoick urged, trying to get his son to start moving "Go! We'll talk more about what happened when we get back."

Hiccup glanced at where Astrid lay, Gobber checking her head to make sure she nothing else was wrong. Finally, letting out a frustrated sigh, he nodded and turned to run to Toothless.

"Sven! Get thirty of our strongest men and meet me outside of town! Get the rest of the dragon riders! Move!" Stoick ordered. Looking at Gobber, he then grimly said "Get Gothi for Astrid. I want you to start turning the Great Hall into a hospital. I have a feeling we're going to be needing it in the near future…"

Hiccup was already on Toothless and flying out of the Great Hall, looking for Arrow. He knew that he told Ukiah otherwise, but for the first time, Hiccup realized exactly what could possibly be the price for fighting for the last Crevite.


	18. Chapter 18

_**Chapter Eighteen**_

"I foun-goouugghh!" A soldier's shout was cut short. A bolt sinking into his stomach quickly collapsed him.

Ukiah then sprinted into another thicket. Sliding under the brush, he quickly reloaded his crossbow. "Two left…" He mumbled to himself, sliding one of them into the crossbow. Rolling onto his stomach, he waited for the next soldier to walk into his view. At night and in the forest, he easily lost his pursuers, which all split up trying to find him. With them being spread out and separated, he was able to take down three of the soldiers, but without his quiver of bolts, he was limited with how many he could take at a distance. Now that the forest was crawling with the soldiers, he had to be extra careful with his movements, which he was doing poorly.

"…Get back on me! Everyone, on me! Hekker! Help me get this bolt out…" A voice shouted, obviously in pain. Ukiah instantly recognized it as the champion he saw talking to Murky. "The archer was a rouse. The dragon that attacked earlier. It had a rider, and they took the prisoner we had." The champion continued to shout "Form up! We're raiding the village right now! We're not going to wait to for them to come with a bigger army!"

Ukiah silently cursed the champion. Though he was glad that Hiccup was able to save Astrid, this champion was pushing his attack right then! That, and the fact he didn't kill him when he first shot him. Gritting his teeth, he began to crawl towards where he heard the shouting. He needed to try and end the champion at least, then there would at least be a chance that the rest of the men wouldn't be able to react as fast; maybe even try to retreat. He could hear multiple men talking ahead of him, making him freeze in place. Still under the cover of the thicket, he glanced over to his right to see three soldiers walking towards where the champion was talking. Using their noise to mask his, he crept forward under the brush, trying to get a view of where they were gathering.

"Gah!" The champion cried out painfully, his voice sounding through the trees "Ho-how much flesh did you take with it?"

"A little bit." A voice replied, almost uncaring.

"Ergh…patch me up." The champion ordered, sounding annoyed.

Ukiah finally found them, looking from under the thicket, he let out silent huff of anger, seeing that the champion was just a silhouette in the darkness, and was surrounded by his remaining men; making it impossible for him to really know who was who. Venting with a deep breath, he waited to see if there was any opportunity to end him.

"How many of us do we have left?" The champion demanded.

"We lost three with the Night Fury attack." A man reported "Plus the two guarding the prisoner."

"I can't find Torulf and Haegen." Another voice shouted "But I found Vrak's body with a bolt in his neck. I imagine that the archer got the other two as well."

"To Niflheim with him!" The champion spat, angry at the report. He only had twelve men left. Well twelve men and an old traitor.

Ukiah smiled to himself as he listened, knowing he was making the champion's life miserable. He then saw the silhouetted champion sit down on a fallen log, while another soldier was working on his side.

"Ugo, hold still. I'm trying to staunch the bleeding." The first voice replied, apparently named Hekker.

"As soon as I'm able, I'm taking ten of you and we're going to raid Berk from behind." Ugo growled, loudly "Mikael, you take Asger and search for the archer. He's still out there, and you're my best tracker."

"Of course Ugo, We'll leave right now." Mikael replied, sounding loyal and unmoving.

Ukiah shifted slightly, seeing the group of men make way for two soldiers. One had a bow and another had a spear. Ukiah eyed the quiver that the bowman had, wishing he could just take a handful, though arrows would barely work for his crossbow. Watching them disappear into the trees, his attention returned to the remaining group as Ugo slowly stood up.

"After our raid, meet back at camp and get ready to load back to the Water Cutter. We've failed our primary mission." Ugo continued to announce "Now that we know they ride their dragons, we've got to move now! Before they come back to try and finish us."

Ukiah couldn't believe it! Ugo started to limp ahead of the group, opening himself up right in front of Ukiah! Capitalizing on the opportunity, he aimed his crossbow and held his breath. Aiming right at the center of Ugo's chest, he knew his bolt wouldn't have a problem piercing the chest plate. Staring at Ugo, he was starting to squeeze the trigger, when an arrow sank itself into the stock of the crossbow.

Thunk!

Shocked, Ukiah glanced over to see Mikael already notching another arrow and glaring right at him. "I found him, Ugo! Get down!"

Ugo was tackled by one of his men, who was ready to take a bolt for him. Ukiah quickly rolled out of the thicket and sprinted away, hearing another arrow sink into the ground where he was laying. Angry that his cover was blown, he ripped the arrow out of his crossbow to help vent the frustration.

"Everyone after him! That's Ukiah!" Ugo roared "We get him, we can get off this forsaken rock.

"Great." Ukiah groaned to himself, running in between two trees "At least Berk isn't the focus anymore."

Thunk! An arrow sank into the tree on his right. Mikael was hot on his heels, and wasn't showing any signs of slowing or waiting for the others. Ukiah gritted his teeth as he ducked and weaved behind another thicket.

Boom! An orange explosion went off behind him. Turning to see what exploded, he saw a few silhouettes of dragons fly overhead in the night sky. Then Mikael appeared from the thicket he ran through, with a couple of men running with him! Whirling around, Ukiah kept on sprinting through trees and low hanging branches.

"You were easy to find!" Mikael called out, running after Ukiah. Drawing another arrow from his quiver, he shouted "You got sloppier in covering your tracks after every person you slew. I don't think I was tracking you for a minute when I found where you were laying!"

Ukiah didn't even try to reply. He just kept on sprinting through the trees. At this point, he wasn't even going to try and hide. If Mikael was a tracker, which he proved he was, then trying to hide from him would be pointless.

"You three! Go to his right! Hekker, Asger, stay with me!" Mikael ordered.

Ukiah turned to his right, knowing he had to get ahead of the three that were going to try and corral him. Tttthhiiip! An arrow whizzed above Ukiah's head, forcing him to dive to the left. Scrambling to his feet, he could hear footsteps pounding in the brush behind him. Sprinting through the some low hanging branches, he felt his face get scratched up. Pushing through, he found out exactly why Mikael wanted to push him to the left. He was overlooking a cliff. Looking down into the bay, he saw the Thariin ship below, the unique looking skimmer.

"Halt poacher!" A voice shouted behind him.

Ukiah whirled around, aiming the crossbow at the person who had a spear aimed at him. Soon Mikael broke through the clearing, followed by four others. Mikael smiled as he drew his bow back, aiming at Ukiah. "Heh, honestly, I was hoping for something more challenging to hunt. The way the men back at Thariin talked you up…I was expecting to be hunting a ghost."

"Just kill me and spare me your gloating." Ukiah growled, his eyes narrowing.

"Kill you? No…that's Strogg's business." Mikael smiled, walking around Asger, who still leveled his spear at Ukiah. "Why don't you put down the crossbow, and I'll make it a painless journey to the ship."

"Liar…" Ukiah growled, not bothering to lower his weapon.

"Just finish 'im, Mikael!" One of the men jeered, snickering at Ukiah "Strogg just wants 'im dead!"

"I got a better idea." Mikael smiled, closing one eye and taking aim.

Ukiah quickly ducked and weaved to the left, but Mikael was already expecting it. In his attempt to dodge the arrow, he found that he jumped in front of it. A thunderbolt slammed into his left shoulder, catching a buckle that held a strap to his vest. The force spun Ukiah in a violent spin, to which he crashed on the edge of the cliff. "Gah! He shouted painfully as he landed roughly on the ground, feeling a growing, stinging, and lingering pain in his shoulder. Glancing at it, he saw the buckle stopped the arrow from going any deeper, as the arrowhead was the only part of that buried itself in him.

"Well now," Mikael jested, letting his bow slide in his hand "that was easier than I expected. I think Strogg would be alright if he only has an injured shoulder."

Ukiah slowly stood up, his eyes burning with anger at Mikael. Staring at the taunting tracker, he began to see an opportunity present itself, seeing the bow hang loosely in the tracker's hand. Jumping on the moment, he then asked "Do you know why I like a crossbow over a bow?"

"No, nor do I really care." Mikael teased, shaking his head with a smirk. Looking at Asger, he then ordered "Go grab him. I did my job."

"Because I only need one arm to fire it!" Ukiah spat, raising his right hand. Aiming it at Mikael, he squeezed the trigger and sent the bolt flying.

Mikael's smirk quickly disappeared, as the bolt entered his heart. Launching backwards out of reaction and the force, he landed on his back with his eyes staring up at the infinite starlit sky forever.

"He killed Mikael!" Asger shouted, staring with wide eyes at where Mikael lay.

"Kill 'im!" A voice shouted.

"Throw him off the cliff!" Another added.

Ukiah helplessly stared as the crowd of soldiers rushed him. Asger was the first to get to him. Using the butt end of his spear, he pushed Ukiah with as much force as he could. "Go die, poacher!" He screamed, watching Ukiah launch backwards.

Ukiah stared in fear, watching the cliff rise higher and higher, with the wind getting louder and louder. Just as he was sure he'd crash into the ocean below, a force slammed him from behind, violently jerking him back up. He lost his breath at the sudden change of direction, causing him to wheeze. Unsure of what was going on, he looked around and saw that he was grabbed from behind. Black and brown wings flapped in and out of peripheral vision, which instantly comforted him. "Arrow…" He whispered, putting together what happened.

Boom! A blue explosion appeared at the top of the cliff where he was pushed off of, followed by a black streak. Two soldiers were flung over the cliff, and screamed past Ukiah and Arrow. Hovering at the top, he saw the crowd of soldiers laying on the ground. Out of the darkness, the twins and Snotlout flew and perched over the remaining stunned soldiers.

"I thought you said you'd be avoiding them!" Hiccup's voice shouted.

Ukiah turned to see Hiccup and Toothless hovering near Arrow. Hiccup was scowling at him, obviously angry with how they found Ukiah. "I said I was bringing the fight to them!" He quickly countered. Arrow gently let him down, to which he landed next to him. His green eyes narrowed as he glared at his rider, angry that Ukiah sent him away earlier. "What? Am I in trouble with you too?" Ukiah huffed, shaking his head. A jolt of pain surged through his body, starting with his shoulder. Wincing vividly, he dropped his crossbow and placed his hand around the arrow that remained in his shoulder, trying to quell the pain and slow the bleeding.

"What happened?" Hiccup asked, landing next to him and staring at the arrow in his shoulder.

"Got shot. They had a tracker that used a bow." Ukiah grunted, his eyes shutting closed. "He's dead." He added simply.

"Come on, let's get out of here and get that taken care of. My dad's coming with a patrol to clean up all the stragglers." Hiccup replied, seeing that Ukiah was in pain.

"Where'd Ugo go? And the rest of their soldiers? I though all of them were coming after me?" Ukiah groaned, finally opening his eyes to look around.

Hiccup shook his head, pushing lightly on Ukiah to get on Arrow. "The others? We already strafed them before we found you. If Arrow hadn't been looking for you, I don't know if we could have saved you from falling."

"Guess I owe Arrow another favor for saving my life a second time." Ukiah huffed, turning to face Arrow. Then, a lot softer and more sincere, rubbed one of his spikes, whispering "Thanks friend…that's the last time we're separating ourselves…I promise."

Arrow just huffed, still not believing Ukiah. Turning his side, he let Ukiah tenderly climb on.

"Keep them pinned until my dad gets here." Hiccup ordered, turning to Snotlout and the twins "He shouldn't be too long after he deals with the others. When Fishlegs and Meatlug get here, send them to sink the ship. Got it?"

"Wait! Why does Fishlegs get to sink the ship?" Tuffnut cried out, shocked that he wasn't assigned the task.

"You should leave those kind of jobs to those that know it best." Ruffnut added, looking at Hiccup with a disappointed look.

"Alright then, when Fishlegs meets up with you guys, you guys go blow up the ship. Just make sure it sinks!" Hiccup replied, rolling his eyes at whining.

"Come on friend, let's get back to Berk." Ukiah whispered, letting Arrow slowly take off.

Hiccup was right behind him, flying to catch up and fly alongside. Looking at Ukiah, he asked "How bad is it? Do we need to find my dad to get it out right now?"

Ukiah shook his head "No, it hit a buckle, stopped it from running through me. Only the arrowhead's buried in the shoulder, shouldn't be too hard to get out."

Hiccup just stared at Ukiah, still worried about him.

"Well, that was a crazy training session." Ukiah whispered, forcing a smile to try and lighten the mood.

Hiccup didn't say anything, but just turned and faced forward. Ukiah couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking about. Then the thought hit him. Looking back at Hiccup, he asked "How's Astrid?"

"I don't know. I'm sure she's fine, but…" Hiccup replied, shaking his head "I guess we'll find out when we get you to the Great Hall."

Ukiah nodded, understanding exactly what Hiccup was thinking about. Looking up at the countless stars, and the waning moon, he then thought of what would happen when Strogg's fleet would be spotted. Realizing that this was just a handful of soldiers, he wondered what was going to happen when an entire army arrived at their shores? Slightly shaking his head, Ukiah let Arrow glide silently alongside Hiccup and Toothless; not wanting to think of those who would be killed in the eventual fight.

* * *

"Just pull it out!" Ukiah groaned, his eyes shut closed and his teeth clenched.

"Easy, laddie." Gobber replied, using his good hand to push Ukiah back down on the cot he was laying on "Gothi's got a certain way with doing these things. She'll be able to take it out without it doing any more damage. And speed up the healing process."

"It's barely in there!" Ukiah grunted, his eyes flipping open and glaring at Gobber "It didn't hurt like this before she started to mess with it! Just pull it out and be done with it! Barbed or not!"

Suddenly a stick flew out of nowhere and hit Ukiah in the forehead. Wincing, he rubbed the spot where he was hit with his good hand. Gothi glared at him, daring him to keep on arguing. Realizing that she was going to do what she was going to do regardless of his complaining, he settled back down on the cot he was assigned to.

Gobber performed his task to the tee in regards to setting up a hospital. Within minutes of Stoick leaving, the Great Hall was cleared of tables and chairs. Now a few cots were placed in an orderly fashion, with more arriving every minute.

"Toughen up. You didn't whine this much when your arm was slashed." Astrid teased, sitting on the side of her cot. A single bandage was tied to her head, holding another cloth over where she was hit on the head. Hiccup was sitting alongside her, with a relieved expression on his face. The moment Gothi attended Astrid, she was easily assessed and was even woken up by her.

"Easy for you to say! All she did was bandage the spot where you were hit." Ukiah growled, glaring at Astrid.

"And had me drink this nasty liquid!" Astrid replied, pulling a face at remembering the flavor or the medicine "But it's helped my headache, so…can't complain too much I guess."

"Well, the sooner you two get better, the better chance we'll have at fighting Strogg's fleet." Gobber replied, catching everyone's attention.

"What do you mean, Gobber?" Astrid asked.

"Murky wanted you all to go through training sessions to stall you from helping us in the war." Gobber replied with a smile "As far as Stoick and I are concerned, you're all going to be helping us fight! The dragon riders proved useful last night with those sneaky Thariin soldiers. It proved that we do need all of you!"

The three smiled at each other, realizing that they were going to be able to help without any more training sessions; and more importantly, less politics. Ukiah's joy was short lived as his shoulder began to increasingly sting. Gothi had lightly dabbed some kind of putty from a container, and then gently pushed it into the wound and around where the arrow was still lodged in his shoulder. The arrowhead was halfway out, but with the edges being barbed, and the fact that it was caught in the metal buckle that stopped it, was creating some issues while removing it.

"Gah!" He cried out, feeling it sting unbearably "What's she doing? I've never thought a process so simple could be this painful and take this long!"

"She's making it so that it doesn't damage your muscles as much." Gobber explained, shaking his head at Ukiah "So it'll just be sore, rather than needing time to recover."

"I guess if it saves time in the long run…" Ukiah huffed, doing his best to relax. Turning to Astrid, mainly to keep himself from looking at what Gothi was doing, he then said with a forced smile "Glad you're alright Astrid. Hiccup and I were worried when we found you."

"Yeah, would you two mind explaining what happened to me?" She asked, looking at Hiccup with confusion "All I know is that Murky hit me from behind, I woke up here, and Ukiah's taken an arrow to his shoulder."

"Well…" Ukiah began to say, to which he yelped in pain as Gothi hit him with her stick again "Augh! Really?"

Gothi glared at Ukiah, pressing a finger against her lips and signaling him to be quiet.

"Take it away, Hiccup." Ukiah growled, setting his head down in the cot.

"Well, when you left us, we were ambushed by Fishlegs and the others." Hiccup began to say "Almost lost, but Ukiah pulled a fast one on the twins, and I was able to get Snotlout out when he was distracted."

"Really? They got the jump on you guys?" Astrid asked in surprise.

"This isn't the part of the story that matters." Hiccup answered, looking down at the stone floor. Taking a breath, he then continued to say "When we saw that you weren't anywhere nearby, we followed your tracks; er, well Ukiah followed your tracks. We then found you with Murky and a Thariin soldier-"

"Champion. It was one of the champions. Ugo I think…" Ukiah threw in, not moving from where he lay for fear of Gothi hitting him. Again.

"Wait. Strogg's men are here?! Murky was with them?" Astrid asked with wide eyes, her mouth agape.

"Yeah he betrayed us…that's why he knocked you out. He was meeting up with them, at least a small group." Hiccup explained, looking at Astrid with a worried expression "You were going to interrupt their meeting."

"But…their fleet isn't here. How did they get here so fast?" Astrid questioned.

"They took that one fast ship that caught up to us on our way back from Thariin." Hiccup explained "The twins are supposed to sink it."

"So…what happened when you found me?" She asked, still thinking of Thariin soldiers being on Berk.

"You were taken to their camp. I guess they were going to bring you to Strogg as leverage over us." Hiccup continued to say.

Ukiah held his tongue. The real reason why Strogg wanted her, was as a trophy; collateral for Berk making him sail all the way to kill the last Crevite. He didn't have the heart to tell her exactly why she was a prisoner. He was sure that was why Hiccup didn't say that as well.

"How did you get me away?" She continued to quiz, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, Ukiah basically led the entire camp after him. Leaving only two people." Hiccup answered "I came in when it was clear, Toothless stood guard while I grabbed you. Took you here right after."

Astrid didn't say anything at first. She couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed that she was captured so easily. Even though it was a blindside hit from Murky, she basically walked right into the Thariin camp. Looking at Ukiah she then asked "That's why you got an arrow in the shoulder…you were distracting them."

"I got an arrow in the shoulder because they had a tracker." Ukiah replied, looking at her from where he lay "I was hidden from them, about to take Ugo's life, when he found me. Shot my crossbow." Looking up at the ceiling, he added "When he cornered me on the cliff, I tried dodging the arrow, but basically ran into it…"

Suddenly, he felt a tugging on his shoulder. Glancing over, he watched as Gothi slowly pulled the arrow out. Relief instantly flooded his body, as the stiff feeling disappeared. Amazingly, it only felt sore. He didn't have any feeling that his shoulder was torn or tearing.

Gothi pressed a cloth against the small hole that remained, which she immediately started to wrap with a bandage.

"Eh? What'd I say Ukiah. She's the best." Gobber called out, smiling as Ukiah watched her tie off the bandage.

"I was wrong. This was definitely better than just pulling it out." Ukiah replied, a little sheepishly. Sitting up, he rotated his shoulder and felt the sore feeling thump where the arrow entered. Inconvenient, but a lot better than having his arm rest it in a sling for who knew how long.

Gothi smiled as she started to write something on the ground. Gobber began to translate, saying "She says you're lucky that metal buckle stopped the arrow. It would have been a different procedure if it went in deeper. More painful. And a lot longer."

"Lucky me." Ukiah groaned, not wanting to think of what it could have been. Swinging his legs around, he sat on the side of the cot, still testing his shoulder and trying to get used to it.

"Oh…you'll like this Ukiah." Gobber announced, still reading what Gothi was writing.

Ukiah's head perked up, as did Astrid's and Hiccup's.

"She says she's willing to talk about the Crev. She knows a little bit about your people." He answered, smiling at him. Looking at Gothi, who had a stern look on her face, he realized he may have said the wrong thing.

"Really? What do you know?" Ukiah asked, completely ignoring the shoulder.

Gothi let out a sigh and began to write on the ground. Gobber, watching the writing carefully, suddenly had a surprised expression on his face. Glancing between her and Ukiah, he then whispered "Actually…I don't know if you'll like it…"

Ukiah's face turned to stone. He waited to hear the new information, which he knew in his heart he couldn't prepare for.

"The Crev were gifted warriors. They had an inborn ability to fight, and to learn how to fight." Gobber began to quote, reading the words as they appeared "Their elitist fighters and leaders, were often quiet and methodical. They rarely showed emotion to others outside of their tribe. Even…kindness."

Ukiah's pulse quickened, not sure how to take the last bit. He just sat there intently, waiting for Gobber to continue.

"She remembers she visited their village elder, when she was just becoming our islands healer." Gobber proceeded to say "Their elder was the only one who dealt with other tribes, as they were the only ones that could associate with others."

"Where are you going with this?" Ukiah asked, looking at Gothi "Are you saying they were recluses? Loners?"

Gothi looked at Ukiah with sadness. Looking down, she wrote on the ground. Gobber watched her write, a surprised expression growing on his face. Looking at Ukiah, he then whispered "They destroyed other tribes Ukiah. Not for loot, or for food. But to prove themselves. It was…their sport. Not only that, but in order to get a status or title in the tribe, you had to kill someone ranked higher than you with the tribe. To show you were stronger."

Ukiah stared at Gobber, and then at Gothi. "Are you saying…I'm a murderer?"

Gothi shook her head, writing on the ground hurriedly.

"No, not you. But your people were ruthless. The only reason why Gothi was able to visit with their elder, was because most of their tribe was away on a raid." Gobber said aloud, reading as she wrote. Gothi then gestured to Ukiah, which Gobber explained "She says you haven't been tainted by them. You don't have their traditions! You're a Crevite with their abilities to fight, but innocent to choose your own fate."

Ukiah just stared into nothing. His people…were killers. Thinking about his past events and fights, he then thought to himself "Am I like them? Do I kill for…fun?"

"Ukiah?" Astrid asked, taking a seat next to him. Hiccup did as well, looking at him with concern.

"I…I need to think about this…" Ukiah whispered, standing up. He just had to get out. To go think.

"Not yet laddie." Gobber replied, pushing him back down on the cot "Not 'till tomorrow morning at least."

Gothi began to write something in the ground, which Ukiah barely noticed. He had a chilling thought run through his head. One that almost made him cry out in agony. It was all he could think about.

"Ukiah…she says the Crev were warriors by birth, but killers by rite. You are a warrior by birth, and a hunter by rite. You're not like your tribe. You're different." Gobber quoted again, seeing Ukiah begin to shut down.

Ukiah only nodded, hearing what was said, but not really listening.

Gobber saw the conflict on Ukiah's face. Knowing that talking wouldn't help him right then, he rested his hand on Ukiah's shoulder, saying "Think about it…we'll talk more tomorrow. Ok?"

Again, Ukiah just nodded, staring down at the ground.

Sighing, Gobber looked at Hiccup and Astrid, silently instructing them to stay with him. At that, he and Gothi left to keep working on the hospital.

The three sat there in silence, unsure of what to say. Finally, Ukiah said something to bring relief to the other two. "I…I had no idea. I figured they were different, but…not murderer's…"

"But you're not a murderer!" Astrid cried out "You may have killed, but you're not like them!"

"No, you're missing the point." Ukiah whispered hoarsely, looking at Astrid with tearing eyes "It's not what I am that's hard for me…its…if my people were murderers, then Strogg was justified in destroying them. They needed to be destroyed."

Astrid and Hiccup just stared at Ukiah, seeing what was really bugging him.

"Don't you see? Strogg was in the right for killing my people." Ukiah whispered hoarsely, looking away from his friend's gaze "That's why he's after me…he doesn't want the Crev to come back…"

Astrid scooted closer to him, seeing him break down in front of them. Unsure of what to do, she reached around and pulled him closer to her. Ukiah started to sob, letting her pull him closer to her. Looking at Hiccup, he just nodded in agreement, that she was doing the right thing.

Then, Ukiah whispered these chilling words "My people…my history…my family…we've doomed Berk…I've doomed you guys. I've killed my friends."


	19. Chapter 19

_**Chapter Nineteen**_

Ukiah slowly awoke, his eyes flickering open. Staring at the stone ceiling, he let out a heavy sigh, as if wishing he never woke up. His shoulder still felt sore, being limited in his movement. But what hurt the most, was his heart. Still feeling like a marble rock was weighing it down. He learned a little piece of history about himself, which changed everything he thought of the world.

His people were murderers. Killed who knows how many people; destroyed numberless tribes. And worst of all…Berk was defending the last survivor of that tribe. Him.

Unable to ease the gut wrenching feeling in his stomach, he turned his head to see Astrid still asleep on her cot. Her head was still bandaged, but she wore her head band over the bandage. He knew she didn't need to, but she felt it was a way she could help him get through the knowledge of his people; even though she spent most the night comforting and consoling him. He was forever grateful for that simple act, though he still was weighed down with sorrow.

Groaning he sat up and rolled to his feet. Rotating his shoulder, he exercised it a little bit before finally standing up. Looking down at Astrid, he decided to let her be. She deserved more sleep than what they actually got. Navigating through the labyrinth of cots, set up by Gobber, he made his way to the doors, which were already open.

As he walked out, he was blinded by the sun. By the position of the sun, he guessed it was late morning. Again, sleeping in longer than he wanted to. A growl sounded to his right, to which he instantly connected it with Arrow. Glancing over, he saw the Sand Wraith stretch while yawning; his teeth glistening in the sun. Blinking to wake up, Arrow then jogged to Ukiah, rubbing the side of his against him.

"Hey friend…" Ukiah whispered, forcing a small smile "How was your night?"

Arrow just growled, looking up at his bandaged shoulder, sniffing at it.

"It's all better now." Ukiah replied, his smile fading. Arrow sensed that something was wrong, which caused him to get right into Ukiah's face with an interrogating expression. Shocked at the intrusion, Ukiah again forced a smile and rubbed one of the spikes fervently. "I'm just thinking, Arrow. Nothing serious."

Arrow looked at Ukiah skeptically, not buying what he was saying.

"Come on. Let's go for a ride." Ukiah said aloud, walking to the side of the dragon. Mounting on the saddle, he was surprised to hear a voice: "Mind if I join?"

Looking up, he watched Hiccup and Toothless land smoothly in front of them. Toothless let out a soft growl at Arrow, which Arrow replied with one of his own.

"Heh, you're awake!" Hiccup called out, smiling sincerely at Ukiah "Feel a little refreshed?"

"A little, yeah." Ukiah replied, a small smile growing on his face "Still sore. But the more I use the shoulder, the better it'll be later."

Hiccup nodded, understanding what Ukiah was saying. Turning Toothless, he then said "Come on, I want to show you something."

"Where?" Ukiah asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Follow me and I'll show you." Hiccup replied with a smile. At that, he and Toothless took off.

Ukiah shrugged, wincing as his shoulder gave him a little grief. "Come on boy, let's see where they're taking us." He said aloud, bracing himself to take off. Arrow instantly launched into the air, following Toothless and trying to catch up.

Finally flying alongside Hiccup, Ukiah closed his eyes and let the wind blow through his hair. For a second, he was able to enjoy the moment for what it was. He wasn't thinking of the coming fight, nor the horrible truth of his people. He was just thinking of him and Arrow, flying with friends.

"Dad came back late last night. After you and Astrid fell asleep." Hiccup began say, turning to face Ukiah "Picked up the rest of those Thariin soldiers, including Ugo and Murky."

"Great." Ukiah replied, nodding at the news "What's your dad going to do Murky?"

"Don't know yet. We'll have to wait 'till after the war. Oh, and Ugo hates you." Hiccup replied with a smile "He's still really tender from where you shot him last night."

"I can't believe he's still alive. I hit him in the side." Ukiah huffed, shaking his head with disappointment. Then the thought hit him. Did he really hope others died? At least those he fought? Every time he thought about his tribe, he couldn't help but wonder if that was why he chose to be a hunter. Someone who enjoys killing.

"Hey, are you alright, Ukiah?" Hiccup's called out, seeing Ukiah slowly withdraw from the conversation.

Looking over at Hiccup, he saw the concern on his face. "I'm fine…" He tried to say, only to have his voice trail off. Letting out a large sigh, he then looked down and shook his head "I don't know Hiccup…I don't know how I'm doing."

"Come on. Let's talk. I want to tell you something." Hiccup quickly threw in, speeding ahead of Arrow.

"Can you just tell me? Rather than taking me somewhere to tell me something!" Ukiah called out, letting Arrow speed to catch up.

"I'd rather sit and talk to you about it." Hiccup replied, gliding lower to the ground.

Confused, Ukiah and Arrow followed the two. Gliding above the tree line, they saw a light fog covering the forest. It dawned on him that he hadn't had a chance to enjoy fog for awhile; at least like he did before. Hiccup and Toothless then dove down, disappearing from their view. Arriving where they lost track of them, they found themselves over a large cove, with cliffs on all sides. A single pond lay at the side of it, creating a sense of peace in the area. It reminded him of his old home in Thariin. At least Fallis Woods.

Hiccup dismounted off of Toothless, who promptly ran to the edge of the pond. Ukiah did the same, looking around the cove and soaking in the sight of the light fog adding to the mystery of the place. It was calming to his mind.

Arrow walked behind Ukiah, also looking around. He then noticed Toothless biting into the water, which probed his curiosity. Walking over, he realized Toothless was trying to catch some fish that were lazily swimming in the pond. Baring his sharp teeth in the form of a smile, Arrow launched into the water and began to swim around. Toothless, as well as Ukiah and Hiccup, watched the Sand Wraith swim from one end to the other. After watching the spectacle, they stared at Arrow curiously as he walked onto the shore and next to Toothless. Smiling, he dropped a small pile of fish at Toothless' feet, gesturing it towards him.

Toothless roared happily, realizing Arrow was helping him. At that, both he and Arrow laid down at the pile, and began to snack on the meal Arrow had gathered.

"Good to see they're becoming buddies!" Hiccup replied with a smile, taking a seat on a rock.

"Yeah, can't believe I was worried they wouldn't get along." Ukiah seconded, shaking his head at Arrow. For the first time in a long time, a natural smile grew on his face. Shaking his head, he took a seat on a rock across from Hiccup, watching the two dragons.

"Heh, it's hard to believe we've been friends for more than a month now." Hiccup added, smiling at Ukiah "A lot's happened in between then and now."

Nodding, Ukiah looked at Hiccup in the eyes, keeping the natural smile on his face "Yeah…a lot has happened. More than I thought possible." Looking around the cove, he asked "So…what is this place?"

"This is where I kept Toothless when I first found him." Hiccup began to explain, looking at Ukiah with a smile "My life changed here. I discovered who I was. Instead of a being a Viking that would kill dragons, like my tribe, and even my dad; I found that I'm someone who could train them, and bridge peace between the two.

Ukiah looked at Hiccup with surprise in his eyes, recalling a moment when he first arrived at Berk. Almost reluctantly, he asked "I didn't hear the details Hiccup, but…were you banished from your tribe because of what you did? From your own home?"

Hiccup let a casual smile grow on his face. "I wasn't really banished…just disowned."

"Even by your dad?" Ukiah asked, still staring at him in shock.

Hiccup's smile slowly disappeared, to which he explained "He was only thinking of protecting the tribe. I did something that no Viking even thought of doing. Trying to protect the dragons didn't really make me popular."

"But…they changed that when you saved them?" Ukiah continued to ask, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, after Toothless and I defeated the Red Death, we changed their minds." Hiccup replied with a smile "I don't think too much of it, since it was something that changed the world as they all knew it."

"But…doesn't it bug you that they did what they did? That they did banish you?" Ukiah pressed.

"No. Because that's not who I am. I try not to dwell on what happened, but what I can do." Hiccup replied simply "There's a whole world out there to explore, and we don't know anything about it! If I spent my time holding a grudge or trying to get back at them, even my dad, I'd waste my life away." Gesturing to his leg with a smile, he added "I'd still be stuck on this little mishap!" Letting his smile slowly disappear, he whispered "Ukiah, I'm explaining this to you because I'm trying to tell you that you're different from your people. You're not a killer, and you shouldn't think that you are!"

Ukiah just looked away from Hiccup, whispering back. "It's not the same Hiccup…"

"How? How is it not the same?" Hiccup argued, folding his arms and staring at Ukiah.

"Because I don't want you guys killed because of me!" Ukiah yelled back, anger ringing in his voice. Realizing he just yelled at his friend, Ukiah turned away from him, ashamed.

"What's going on, Ukiah?" Hiccup asked, looking at him with concern "That conversation last night has gotten you…tense."

Ukiah turned away from him, watching the two dragons continue to eat their breakfast. "I told you earlier. I don't know if I'm ok. Everything makes no sense, yet at the same time it does."

Hiccup was a little surprised at how fast Ukiah closed up. Sitting there a little awkwardly, he then asked "Ukiah…I talked to my dad about how…how you feel about your people history and Strogg…"

"Did he even know we were killers?" Ukiah asked, looking back at Hiccup with dark eyes "Is that why he was willing to fight with Strogg against the Crevites?"

Hiccup didn't say anything. Rather, he just stared at Ukiah with sorrow on his face.

"Hiccup, I know you and everyone else want to keep me alive. And you're doing it as we speak." Ukiah growled "But have you ever considered that Strogg is right? That the world is better off without a Crevite living in it? Am I worth fighting for?"

"You don't believe that, do you?!" Hiccup cried out, shocked at what he was hearing.

"I don't want to, but what if I do enjoy killing? What if I'm exactly like my tribe?" Ukiah replied loudly, rolling his sore shoulder to massage it "I've been a hunter all my life Hiccup! And though I did it to survive, I enjoyed every moment of it! I didn't care that I took a life." Scoffing, he then faked a laugh while adding "Come to think of it, I didn't even care that I killed someone back in the arena! I didn't! And I killed more than one guard there. Plus don't forget what I did last night!"

"But that was to survive! In order to live!" Hiccup cried out, trying to point out the obvious to Ukiah "I didn't want to hurt anyone last night! But with Astrid captured and you surrounded, I did what I had too! Ukiah, you might not feel remorseful, but you don't outright enjoy killing! I can see that! Astrid can see that! We all can see that, Ukiah!"

Ukiah just looked away from Hiccup. He didn't feel like he was doing it to survive. Shouldn't he have felt some remorse? Even from last night? All he knew, was that he was frustrated that he didn't kill Ugo; or take down as many soldiers as he planned to.

"You still don't believe me…do you?" Hiccup observed, seeing Ukiah stay silent.

"It's hard to…" Ukiah admitted "I feel like…I feel like it has been part of me forever." Scoffing a second time, he added "I mean, I guess everything I do is in my blood. How I fight, how I react; heh, I'm willing to bet it affected how I even hunted." Glaring at Hiccup, he then asked "What's to say that my 'ability', whatever that means, won't make me enjoy murdering others?"

Hiccup stared at him, wishing he could convince him how wrong he was. Looking down, he then had a thought. "If you think you enjoy killing, then why didn't you kill Arrow?"

Ukiah looked up at Hiccup with shock on his face "Wh-what?" He stammered, taken off guard by the comment.

"Why didn't you kill Arrow?" Hiccup repeated "He couldn't fight you. He exposed himself to you, and let you get next to him to pull the arrow out of his side. Why didn't you kill him, instead of saving him?"

Ukiah looked down, realizing what Hiccup was pointing out.

"When you first got here, you were worried that we used the arena for what Strogg uses it for. Entertainment." Hiccup continued to press "Ukiah, you're concern isn't what can you kill; it's what can you save! You don't enjoy death!" Looking at him with earnest, he continued to say "Listen Ukiah. You might not feel remorse when you kill, but you don't kill unless it serves a purpose! You're people, it sounds like that they fought because loved to kill. To prove themselves! Strogg, he may have been right in destroying them, but he isn't right with how he enjoys watching death!"

Ukiah stared at Hiccup, actually starting to believe what he was saying.

"And who cares if he's right! You're not what your tribe was, Ukiah! You are you! If he wants you dead because of who your history, then we're not going to let him! That's why my dad wanted to protect you. If we just gave you to Strogg, are we any better than what he is? Are we any better than your tribe?"

Ukiah finally started to nod, seeing how selfish he was thinking that he was someone else, and not believing his friends.

"Put that all aside, and it comes down to one reason why we adopted you in our tribe. Why we're fighting for you." Hiccup continued to say "We're not fighting because you're the last Crevite; we're fighting because you're our friend."

Ukiah felt like a wall fell on him. He almost couldn't breathe because of the impact the reason had on him. They cared about him. And he completely forgot about that. He was so caught up in the news of what he was supposed to be, that he forgot what he had.

"Ukiah...do you believe me now?" Hiccup pressed again, seeing Ukiah stare into nothing.

"I do Hiccup…at least, I'm starting too." Ukiah replied, finally looking at Hiccup with a determination in his eye "Thank you…I know that if you hadn't snapped me out of whatever I was in, I probably would be starting down the path of becoming what I feared I was. A killer."

Hiccup smiled, seeing Ukiah already returning to how he knew him; caring and appreciative.

Looking over at Arrow, who had fallen asleep with Toothless, Ukiah whispered "You know Hiccup, I think you gave me something that I'm going to shape my life to be."

"What's that?" He asked, looking at Ukiah curiously.

"I'm going to fight to make sure I keep my friends safe." Ukiah answered resolutely, looking back at him with a fire burning in his eyes "You, Stoick, Astrid, your friends, even Arrow."

Hiccup smiled at the comment, knowing Ukiah would keep his word. Just as he was about to add to the thought, they both heard someone in the distance. "Hiccup! Where are you?!"

"Did you hear that?" Hiccup whispered, looking around to see if he could find the source.

Ukiah nodded as he closed his eyes, straining to hear the details. Whoever it was, they sounded distressed.

"Hiccup! Ukiah!" The voice shouted again.

"Over there." Ukiah quickly said, pointing in the direction from where they came.

"Hiccup!" The voice shouted, getting louder.

"That's Fishlegs!" Hiccup replied, finally recognizing who was calling.

No sooner had he said his name, Fishlegs flew over the trees on Meatlug. As soon as he spotted the two, he almost drove Meatlug into the ground getting to them. A look of terror on his face became clear as he parked in front of them.

"Fishlegs! What's going on?" Hiccup asked, shocked at seeing his friend that scared about something.

"Th-Th-Th-Thariin ships!" Fishlegs stammered, pointing back at where Berk was "They've been spotted! Strogg's here!"

"Arrow! Let's go!" Ukiah shouted, sprinting to his dragon.

Arrow instantly woke up at the urgency in Ukiah's voice. Toothless also stood up, looking at Hiccup with concern.

"How many ships?" Hiccup asked, running to Toothless.

"Couldn't tell. Thirty, forty ships maybe?" Fishlegs replied, Meatlug taking off again.

Both Ukiah and Hiccup leaped on their dragons. Making sure he was secured on the saddle, he whispered in Arrow's ear "No matter what, we fight together."

Arrow growled, acknowledging Ukiah's words. Launching into the air, the two sped home, leaving Fishlegs trailing behind.

"Hiccup! I gotta get my crossbow and quiver!" Ukiah shouted "I'll join you in a second!"

"Sounds good! I'll talk to my dad and ask what he wants us to do!" Hiccup replied loudly.

The two then flew around a mountain, which revealed the sight they were informed about. The entire Thariin fleet, slowly coming into view over the horizon.

"Come on, Arrow! We gotta get my gear!" Ukiah urged, putting Arrow into a dive. The flight to the Great Hall felt longer than any time he could remember, even when he had the arrow in his shoulder. He couldn't move fast enough with the sudden stress that he was trying to prepare himself for. Ready or not, he was going to fight Strogg and his army.

Heading straight for the Great Hall, he pulled up just feet from the ground. Leaping off the saddle, he shoved the doors open and sprinted inside. Wham! He moved so fast that he didn't see a person reaching to open the doors, until he was already barreling into her; knocking both of them down.

"Hey Uk-Oof!" She cried out, falling on her back.

Ukiah also rolled onto the ground, but quickly rolled onto his feet in a panic. It was Astrid! Looking at her, he extended a hand to help her up. "Sorry Astrid! I didn't even think to look if anyone was behind the door!"

"Ugh, why were you in a hurry?" She grunted, grabbing his hand. Standing up, she then smacked him in the shoulder; the one that took the arrow.

"Agh!" He winced, the pain being amplified. Taking deep breaths, he shut one eye as he turned to run back to his cot "Strogg's here! I gotta get my gear!"

"What?!" She cried out, running after him "What do you mean here?"

"His fleet! His fleet just came into view!" He cried out, kneeling down and pulling his crossbow out. Knowing Arrow's saddle had a surplus of bolts, he slung the crossbow on his back and began to tie the empty quiver to his hip.

Astrid also grabbed her axe from under her cot. Testing the edge, she looked up at him with concern. "Are you going to be alright Ukiah?" She asked, turning and jogging with him.

"I'm fine." He whispered, looking at her in the eye "I had a moment to talk about it with Hiccup, and helped me snap out of whatever I was in." He replied, testing the dagger strapped to his chest "I'm better Astrid, at least better than before."

Astrid just nodded, opening the door. Arrow was anxiously waiting for Ukiah, now that the war horn was sounding and villagers were running around in the square.

"Come on, I'll help you find Stormfly." Ukiah shouted, jumping on Arrow. He filled his quiver from the saddle surplus quiver, as Astrid climbed on behind him. Making sure it was full, he whispered "Come on friend, let's go."

Arrow bolted into the air, leaving a trail of sand behind. The three flew over the village, looking for Stormfly; and also where Hiccup was gathering the riders.

Flying low over the village, Astrid's attention was pulled when Ukiah said aloud "Hey Astrid."

"What? What's going on?" She asked, looking up at him.

Turning to face her, he whispered "Thanks for being my friend. I was such a mess last night that I didn't even thank you for helping me cope with my…history."

Smiling, Astrid lightly hitting him in the back of the shoulder "Your welcome Ukiah. It was something that I felt that I…needed to do."

Ukiah just stared at her, his face lighting up at the comment.

"I'll…we'll talk later." Astrid whispered, glancing down to hide the blushing. Then, in a sharper tone, said "Now if you want to pay me back, help me defend Berk."

"You're asking me to help defend my home as well? To get even with you? Heh, alright!" Ukiah laughed, turning to face forward "Let's find Stormfly and I'll get right on that!"

Shaking her head, Astrid smiled as she look back down at the village below. "There! At the blacksmith shop!" She shouted, pointing with her axe.

Sure enough, Stoick, Gobber, Hiccup, the other riders, their respected dragons, and Stormfly were there. "Alright Arrow, let's get down there!" Arrow rolled over and dove straight down. Stopping right next to Stormfly, he let Astrid jump off of his saddle right onto hers.

"Astrid! Are you going to be alright with your head?" Hiccup asked, walking Toothless next to Stormfly.

"I was better last night. This isn't going to be a problem." Astrid replied, putting on her confident smirk.

"Listen up!" Stoick ordered, catching everyone's attention "Our main purpose is to make sure they don't land on our docks or beaches. While the fleet will help defend them, and the catapults will pound them as they come, I want you all to sink as many ships that come nearby."

Ukiah nodded in understanding, knowing that Stoick wanted to avoid fighting if at all possible.

"Hiccup, I want you to take charge of your riders and do what you think's best." Stoick continued to instruct "If it gets too dangerous, pull out and help reinforce the line."

"Got it dad. We'll keep them away from the docks." Hiccup replied, noddng to acknowledge the instruction.

"Gobber, help me get a few more catapults to back up the front lines." Stoick continued to order, walking away from the group.

"Aye, Stoick, I'm right with ya'" Gobber replied, winking at Hiccup "Told ya' you'd be helping." He whispered, hobbling after Stoick.

Watching the two go, Ukiah then asked "Any way you want to do this?"

"I was thinking of breaking into two teams of three." Hiccup replied, looking at Ukiah, and then to the rest of the group "One team helps keep ships away from the docks, while the other goes and hits the fleet specifically." Glancing back at Ukiah, he added "Besides, we might be able to end Strogg that way."

Ukiah just nodded, though he had a feeling Strogg wouldn't go down that easily.

"Fishlegs, Twins, and Snotlout. You've worked together before as a team, you four will help defend the docks from ships trying to land there." Hiccup instructed "Ukiah, Astrid, and I will go and try to whittle the fleet down. If it looks like the fleet's focusing on us, come and help us out. Got it?"

"Why do I never get to be with Astrid?!" Snotlout roared, angry with who he was partnered with.

"Not now, Snotlout!" Hiccup replied, glaring at him "War, remember?"

"Exactly! Why am I not helping protect Astrid?!" Snotlout cried out.

"Snotlout, if I was to be protected by you, I might as well fly to them and surrender." Astrid groaned, shaking her head.

"Enough! Let's go!" Hiccup ordered, launching into the air. Turning to Fishlegs as he flew away, he shouted "Fishlegs, you're in charge! Just like that training yesterday!"

"Oh, ok!" Fishlegs replied, surprised at the promotion.

"You guys ready?" Hiccup asked, turning to face Ukiah and Astrid, who were right behind him.

"More than ready. I'd like to return the favor with what they did to me." Astrid replied, smiling evilly.

Ukiah just nodded, saying "Arrow and I are ready to fight for our freedom. Getting sick of Strogg messing with our lives."

Hiccup nodded, returning his attention with the fleet that was getting ever closer. "Let's go around them. Hit 'em from behind!" He shouted, pointing the rock cluster that shot out of the ocean. That'd be an easy way to cloak themselves while flying.

"Gotcha' Hiccup, we'll follow your lead." Astrid replied loudly, swinging her axe to warm her arm up.

Ukiah rolled his shoulder, trying to get used to the soreness. Whatever happened, he was going to make sure he protected his friends.


	20. Chapter 20

_**Chapter Twenty**_

Strogg stared at the island coming into view. There it was. Berk.

Unimpressed with the sight, he began to walk to where Malke was standing. He himself, wore two armor plates over his shoulders, bearing a long, black cape that lightly dusted the deck of the ship. He had a wool shirt, colored black and yellow, giving him a royal look to him. A massive two handed axe was strapped to his waist in between him and the cape. "Any sign of Ugo?" Strogg asked, arriving to Malke who was peering through a telescope.

"No, my chief." Malke replied, steadying the telescope "Not even a reply back with the bird I sent last night."

Strogg growled, venting his frustration. With Ugo remaining silent, and no visible battle taking place on Berk, he had to assume the worst. He was dead. "What do you see on the island? What do their defenses look like?"

Malke strained to make out details. Frowning, he began to explain "A few catapults along the cliffs and overlooking the beaches. Their fleet is nearby the docks. Not many, maybe ten warships."

"Stoick shouldn't have many left." Strogg whispered "Most of his fleet was destroyed a few months ago when his son defeated the Red Death."

Malke let out a sudden gasp of horror, his face visibly paling.

"What? What is it?!" Strogg demanded.

"Dragons!" Malke began to say, only to be interrupted.

"I know they have dragons! We already knew that before we left Thariin!" Strogg roared, grabbing Malke by his decorated armor.

"No, my chief! They're riding the dragons!" Malke cried out, his face still registering shock.

Strogg let go of Malke, grabbing the telescope from him. Running to the front of the ship, he peered into the hole and looked for what Malke was talking about. There, hovering over the Berk fleet, three dragons stood as sentries. All of them had riders on them! A Zippleback had a person on each head, while a larger rider sat on a Gronckle. Then the sight that amazed him the most. A Monstrous Nightmare, with a rider sitting on its neck and holding onto its horns like he owned the beast. "Thor's beard…" He whispered, pulling the telescope away from him.

"Now what?" Malke asked, turning to face his chief.

"This doesn't change anything! You're one of my champions, remember?! You can kill the dragons, rider or not!" Strogg roared, glaring at Malke "Take five ships and test their defenses. As our original plan. Make sure your men are equipped to take down dragons. Got it?"

"Yes, my chief." Malke replied, glancing nervously between his chief and the island. Knowing that invading the island had at least some chance of surviving, he turned and made way to his ship.

Strogg growled to vent the frustration inside. He wished he sent Malke instead of Ugo to try and hit Berk from behind. Ugo was smart, as that's his strength he used to kill the dragons he faced. And Harze. He was proud, which led to his death, but he was strong and cunning. Why did he have to die?

Shaking his head, he turned and watched five ships leave the fleet and heading towards the catapult plagued cliffs and docks. Then a thought hit him. Regardless of what kind of strategy they came up with, they'd always be at a disadvantage. A familiar feeling began to swell over him, one he hadn't experienced in a long time. It was a blood lust he hadn't felt this strong since…well since he last plundered a village. Crev. The sea, the men, the feeling of battle; it was a sweet memory. Smiling, he then thought "If it worked against the Crevites, it'd work against the Berkians."

Turning to the captain of the ship, he shouted "Captain!"

"Strogg the Stone!" The captain hailed back.

"Signal all ships to sail forward! We'll overwhelm their defenses!" Strogg roared, laughing happily.

Shocked, the captain didn't do anything at first. Then seeing the insane light in his leader's eyes, and realizing that Strogg was fully expecting him to issue the order, he shouted "Set the sail! Let the winds carry us onto their shores!"

Immediately, all the ships were shouting and letting the sails out. The entire fleet began to sail head way towards the island.

Laughing, Strogg drew his massive axe and waved it into the air. "Here I come, Stoick! I hope you're willing to die protecting one of those murderer's!"

"They're charging head on!" Gobber cried out, seeing the ships create a wake behind them.

"Steady the catapults! Fire as soon as their ships enter range!" Stoick ordered, readying his hammer "Position our ships in front of the docks! Do not let them get a foothold!"

"What's he doing Stoick?" Gobber asked, staring at his friend in confusion "He's going to lose a lot of men doing this!"

"He doesn't care, Gobber!" Stoick replied loudly "He's going to try and take this island, even if it costs him every single man he has."

"Sweet breath of Odin…he is insane!" Gobber muttered, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Nay, he's thirsty Gobber, he's blood thirsty…" Stoick growled, narrowing his eyes as the fleet came closer and closer. Looking up at the riders, he shouted "Riders! Protect our ships from being boarded!"

"Alright guys, here we go!" Fishlegs shouted, letting Meatlug fly forward.

"Alright! Blow up time!" Ruffnut shouted, smiling from ear to ear.

"Look at all those ships…" Tuffnut whispered, his eyes looking like they were starting to cry "All there to burn…to sink…to destroy…"

"Focus guys!" Fishlegs shouted "Bring the front runner ships down! Twins, lay a blanket of fire over them! Snotlout, fly through their sails while Hookfang's on fire! I'll focus on catching their catapulted rocks. Got it?"

"Yeah, yeah. Just shout my name when you need me!" Snotlout yelled, eyeing the lead ship "Alright Hookster, let's show 'em what a real Berk warrior can do!"

Malke was at the bow of his ship as the dragons began to fly towards them. Grabbing a pair of bolas, he began to twirl them around. He stared at the approaching Nightmare, aiming at the left wing. Muttering to himself, he counted down. As the numbers went down, a haunting scream started to sound. Realizing what it was, he stopped swinging the bolas and spun around.

Boom! A blue explosion erupted in the middle of the fleet. A black blur flew over, followed by a whistling sound.

"Night Fury!" A soldier screamed, seeing the black blur bank widely to the left.

Then, another whistling sound began to emit. Facing the direction it was coming from, Malke stared as a brown blur fired an orange blast, right in the center of a ship. The blur disappeared, diving into the water, and leaving a column of water in its place.

"They're everywhere!" A soldier shouted, aiming a crossbow where the dragon vanished.

Before Malke could scold the soldier, he felt himself tackled to the ground. Shaking off the disorientation, he turned to see that another soldier pushed him out of the way from a hail of spikes, which caught a few unlucky men. A Deadly Nadder flew overhead, rolling to dodge two bolas that were thrown at it. On it was a blonde haired rider holding a large axe in one hand; it was the same blonde haired little thunder he faced off in the arena.

"What the…" He whispered, staring at the Nadder in disbelief. He was so mesmerized by the sudden events, he didn't even notice the sail of his ship burning away, left from the Monstrous Nightmare flying through it and leaving his ship powerless in the water.

Splash! Another column of water erupted right next to him. The brown and black dragon flew out of the water and over his ship, shooting another blast at the ship next to him. The blast released a small sand storm, causing him to shield his eyes. The sand felt hot, and was burning his exposed skin. It seemed as if all the fury the Gods had been, and was being unleashed on their fleet.

Boom! Another blue explosion engulfed another ship, again in the middle of the fleet.

"Malke! Malke, shoot down the dragons!" Strogg's voice shouted, obviously strained.

"I can't!" He roared back, seeing a ship cruise by, engulfed in a raging inferno.

"All ships! Head to the beach!" Strogg ordered, knowing they would be torn apart if they tried to hit the dock and beaches at the same time. If they got a foothold on the beach, they'd be able to at least set up some kind of defense against the dragons.

The fleet responded, leaving the burning or sinking ships behind. The cluster veered from the Berk fleet, and went straight for the beach head under the cliffs.

Ukiah finished strafing a ship that drifted a little too far from the fleet, letting the burning sand catch the wood and sail on fire. About to follow up, he heard his name called out: "Ukiah! Start hitting the lead ships!" Hiccup shouted, flying by while banking over the ships. Toothless was flying so fast, that most bolas thrown at him often tailed behind embarrassingly. "I'm going to keep hitting the center. That'll slow the rear ships from advancing!"

"Got it!" Ukiah shouted, putting Arrow into a dive. Flattening himself on the saddle, he let Arrow cut through the water. Almost immediately, Arrow began to swim towards the head of the fleet. Ukiah forced his eyes open in the salt water, as the Sand Wraith kept on going. Starting to feel his lungs burn a little bit, Arrow broke the surface and flew upwards. Gulping in the rich air, Ukiah then roared "Come on Arrow! Slow 'em down!" Arrow responded by simply shooting a sand blast at the lead ship. The blast expanded as it collided to the deck, spreading the hot sand all over the ship and setting it ablaze.

Stoick and Gobber watched in awe as the dragons and riders battled the fleet. "Welp. Glad we didn't listen to Murky and keep them out of the fight." Gobber replied, awed at the spectactle.

Stoick nodded in agreement, seeing his son do a quick barrel roll and letting Toothless blast away at a central ship. Turning to Gobber, he then ordered "Have the catapults start firing! It looks like they're heading straight for the beach!"

"What of our ships? Should we use it to help defend the beach head?" Gobber asked, turning to run up a wooden pathway.

"Leave them here! We still need to protect the docks!" Stoick yelled, running towards the beach "Spitelout! Grab the most of the men and follow me! We'll wait for them before they set foot on our island!"

* * *

"Hiccup! We can't stop them!" Astrid shouted, banking alongside him. The fleet just kept on plowing ahead, smashing into half sunk ships and pushing away any burning remains. They were down to ten or so ships, but they also sealed their push to make it to the beach. Catapult boulders were flying, trying to sway the unflinching ships.

"Fall back! Let the catapults start whittling them down!" Hiccup shouted, looking at all the dragon riders circling around "We'll help hold them off at the beach! They have no cover there!"

Ukiah nodded, rolling with Arrow who promptly turned to fly towards the beach. Fishlegs was flying alongside, while Meatlug was crunching on a massive boulder. Snotlout and Hookfang were above him, and the twins reluctantly following the group.

Arriving at the beach, Ukiah swiftly dismounted before Arrow even stopped. Jogging to keep himself from falling forward, he ran up to where Hiccup and Astrid landed their dragons. "They have half their fleet left, some of which are damaged or burning a little."

"I saw on my last run." Hiccup replied, smiling at Ukiah. Turning to watch the catapults continue to rain boulders on the fleet, he shouted "Ruff, Tuff! Lay a blanket of gas along the shoreline. As soon as the ships enter, light it up! We'll create a wall of fire for them to come through! The wrecked ships will force them to land farther away from the beach."

"Yeah! More blowing up stuff!" Ruffnut shouted, throwing both hands up in the air in excitement.

"That's the second most beautiful thing I heard today…" Tuffnut whispered, holding back tears for a second time.

"The first being?" Astrid asked, looking up at him with curiosity.

"The explosions." Tuffnut replied, closing his eyes to relish in the memory.

"Get going!" Hiccup groaned, rolling his eyes and shaking his head "We have only a few minutes before they start landing!"

The twins instantly launched into the air, smiling from ear to ear.

Ukiah was about to comment on the twins love of destruction, when a wave of sand hit him from behind. Whirling around, he saw Arrow burrowing into the sand. "What're you doing Arrow?" He asked, walking up to where the dragon buried itself.

Popping his head out, Arrow smiled to show his mouth full of sand.

"Amazing…" Hiccup whispered, astounded as he stared at Arrow "Sand Wraiths are like Gronckles! They get their shots by eating sand!"

"Hiccup! Stop thinking about dragons and get ready to hold the line!" Stoick shouted as he led the men of Berk towards the remaining dragon riders "Can you keep strafing the ships as they start unloading their men?"

"Of course! Toothless and I are ready to go!" Hiccup shouted, sitting up straight in his saddle.

"Good, now everyone, ready up!" Stoick ordered, raising his hammer and shield.

The masts of the ships were peering over the Zippleback gas that created a thick, green fog. Hiccup and Toothless launched into the air, followed by the others. Ukiah turned to find Arrow, but lost him. He was nowhere to be seen!

"Arrow!" He shouted, angry his dragon had disappeared during a battle. Boom! A thunder like explosion went off, creating a concussion that seemed to take his breath away. The twins lit their trap, which promptly caused a few of the masts to collapse in the inferno. Coughing, Ukiah shielded his eyes as ashes and embers began to rain down. The battlefield turned dark with the smoke, and the live embers made it look like they were orange and red lightning bugs dancing in the blackened air. Then, he saw them. Thariin soldiers wading and coughing through the debris filled water.

"EeeerrrraaaaAAAAGGGHHHHHHH!" Stoick shouted, leading the charge.

The air filled with war cries and shouts. Ukiah, caught up in the moment, slung his crossbow around and charged with Berk's warriors. Running into the shallow water, he quickly found a soldier raising his shield towards a charging warrior. Aiming his crossbow, he aimed and fired the bolt. Scthunk! The bolt flew and caught the soldier in the side, causing him to collapse in the shallow water.

Ukiah instantly reloaded the crossbow. Running onto the charred deck of a burned ship, he went straight at the other side of it and found a group of four soldiers wading in-between the ship he was on, and another one that was still burning away. Ukiah didn't hesitate as he fired a bolt into the lead soldier, who fell forward into the water. One of the other soldiers then thrust their spear at him, pushing him away from the edge.

Ukiah leaped backwards, pulling another bolt from his quiver. His foot then stumbled, having broken through the deck; being weakened by the blaze earlier. Staring at the hole, Ukiah then had an idea. Pulling his foot out, he sprinted at the railing of the ship that looked like it suffered the most from the explosion. Roaring, he leaped up in the air, and planted both feet solidly into it.

Crack! The wooden side buckled under the sudden force. A large section of the railing fell over, causing a few shocked cries to sound from under it.

"Agh! Jorgen! Help!" One cried out.

Ukiah wasted no time rolling onto his feet. Sprinting to the hole in the railing, he quickly found a soldier trying to help two that were pinned under the section Ukiah kicked away. Sending the bolt into the soldier, he let the other two struggle against the weight pushing them down in the water. Just as he was reloading, a force grabbed him from behind and by the vest, catapulting him forward and over the edge of the ship. Crashing into the shallow water, he rolled over to see that a soldier had climbed on behind him and thrown him off.

Jumping after Ukiah, the soldier planted his foot into Ukiah's chest, pushing him down under the surface. "No!" Ukiah cried out in the water, bubbles flowing out of his mouth. Gritting his teeth as he struggled to get his head to break the surface. Letting go of his crossbow, he tried to push the foot off of him. No matter how much he struggled, the metal clad boot wouldn't budge!

Panic began to set in, realizing he was starting to feel his body plead for a breath of air. Then, as if something came over him, he felt a calming feeling rush over. He knew what to do. Using his right hand, he drew his dagger over his chest. Placing the blade behind the ankle and armor, he slashed the foot.

"Yeagh!" The soldier cried in pain, stumbling backwards to try and keep himself from falling down. Unable to stand, he simply fell to his knees.

Ukiah's head promptly shot out from the water, gasping for breath. Sucking in huge breaths of air, Ukiah ignored the water running down his eyes as he scrambled to his feet. Gripping his dagger, he jogged to the kneeling soldier; and without saying a single word, raised the dagger and then brought it down into the exposed back.

"Ugghhhnnn…" The soldier groaned, falling forward into the water. Blood began to spread in the salt water as the soldier lay motionless.

Coughing, Ukiah stumbled to where he dropped his crossbow. Sheathing his dagger, and seeing the crossbow still loaded, he turned to see the other two soldiers had successfully pushed the broken railing off of themselves. One wielding a hatchet, and the other a maul, they eyed Ukiah angrily, having watched him kill three of their comrades.

Ukiah gave no warning as he raised his crossbow with one hand and pulled the trigger. The bolt flew and caught the soldier wielding the hatchet in the stomach.

"No! I'll make you pay with your blood!" The soldier on the left shouted, charging as he raised his maul over his head.

Ukiah raised his crossbow up, blocking the strike with the body of the crossbow. The soldier was unimpressed with the block, as he then swung his free hand into Ukiah's stomach coupling him over. The water slowed his feet, making him unable to stabilize himself. Falling back into the water, he watched helplessly as the soldier raised his maul a second time, glaring at Ukiah in anger.

Splash! The water erupted behind the soldier, causing him to whirl around to see what was going on. Arrow leaped out of the shallow water, baring his teeth at the soldier. Sinking them into the shoulder of the soldier, he then pinned him in the water and began to thrash around.

Ukiah pulled himself away from the torrential splashes and onto the beach. He stared as Arrow relentlessly tore into the soldier, biting him and digging his claws into the exposed parts of the soldier's armor. Seeing that Arrow wasn't letting up, Ukiah closed his eyes to try and drown out the screaming and roaring. He could hear the battle rage all around him. Swords clanging against each other, hammers smashing into shields, shouts and cries from victorious and defeated men. If Ukiah was to picture what Helheim or Niflheim sounded like, this was it.

A soft nudge forced him to open his eyes. Relieved to see Arrow's piercing eyes digging into his. "Thank you friend…you never left me did you?" Ukiah whispered, raising his hand and gently stroking a spike along Arrow's neck.

Arrow softly growled, biting Ukiah's vest and pulling him up onto his feet. Making sure Ukiah was standing on his own, he then nuzzled his face against the worn out vest.

"Come on, I forgot to do something." Ukiah whispered, walking over to the burning ship.

Confused, Arrow followed him, watching what he was doing.

Without saying a word, he grabbed a large piece of charcoal and began to break it in his hand. Covering his hand in the soot, he rubbed a diagonal line from high left and low right on his face. Smiling, Ukiah then reloaded his crossbow, and said "That's better. Let's go see where we're needed the most. Come on, Arrow!"

Arrow roared, running alongside his friend and rider. The two charged into a fray that Gobber was part of. Ukiah instantly shot a soldier that was standing over a pushed over Berk warrior, causing him to collapse without a groan.

"Thank you, Crevite!" The warrior called out, jumping to his feet and picking up his weapon.

Ukiah only nodded, reloading his crossbow again. Seeing a soldier start to sneak up behind Gobber, he let out a cry of anger and charged the sneaky man. Letting the bolt loose, he caught him in the shoulder, causing him to yelp in pain and drop his sword. Gobber, hearing someone was behind him, whirled around and slammed his hammer of a hand right into the side of the soldier's head.

Staring at the dead soldier, Gobber then smiled as Ukiah approached him "Good to see ya' still fighting with that shoulder of yours."

"Wouldn't keep me from protecting my friends!" Ukiah replied back with a smile of his own "Besides, haven't felt it once since the fight started!" Reloading his crossbow, his facial expression hardened as he asked "Where do you need me? In the air? On the ground?"

"Right side of the beach!" Gobber replied, using his hammer to point in the direction "The men are starting to get overrun! That's where the fleet's strongest! We'll finish up this fight and be right behind you!"

"Got it!" Ukiah shouted, running past Gobber "Come on, Arrow!"

The Sand Wraith sprinted after Ukiah, ignoring Gobber and the others who were busy pushing back a group of soldiers that were trying to rally past them. Diving into the sand, he buried himself a second time.

Ukiah reloaded his crossbow on the go, running as hard as he could. Breaking through a wall of smoke, he saw exactly why Gobber wanted him on that side. Most of the ships were still intact, and a lot of Thariin soldiers were already on the beach.

Boom! A blue explosion went off in the center of a group of soldiers, followed by the whistling sound of a passing Night Fury.

"There ya' go Hiccup!" Ukiah shouted, running at a group of soldiers that were surrounding some of the defenders. Raising his crossbow, he sent the loaded bolt into the back of a soldier, causing him to fall flat on his face.

"You two! Deal with the boy!" One of the soldiers shouted, seeing Ukiah run at them.

Two soldiers immediately turned and charged him as he reloaded his crossbow. Under one of the men, the sand erupted, revealing Arrow and his razor like teeth. Biting the leg of the unfortunate soldier, he then rolled along the beach to disorient his prey, dragging the screaming soldier across the sand.

The second soldier ignored his comrade. Glaring at Ukiah, he raised his shield and charged Ukiah. He kept his sword low and at his side.

Ukiah fired the bolt, which the soldier easily deflected with his shield.

"Die now!" The soldier yelled, swinging the sword in an upwards slash.

Using the crossbow arms, he struck at the sword. Successfully pushing it away, he then shoulder checked his attacker. The two of them toppled over, which Ukiah quickly rolled to his feet, as he was expecting to fall over. About to bring the butt-end of the crossbow down on the soldiers head, he felt his feet get swept out from under him.

"Gah!" he shouted, crashing onto the sand. Not caring what his opponent was doing, he rolled away from him and pushed himself back up. The soldier was already on his feet, his shield raised and his sword ready to strike. Ukiah dropped his crossbow and drew his dagger. Fighting defensively, he felt that was the best way to fight this soldier, as he was obviously experienced with a shield.

The two circled each other, waiting for the other to make the first move. Ukiah then decided to lash out first, stuttering his steps as he attacked. The soldier wasn't shaken by the sudden jittery attack. Standing his ground, he shoved the shield ahead of him, catching Ukiah's dagger. Feeling the dagger hit his shield, the soldier then lunged forwards, catching Ukiah off guard. Pushed backwards, he lost his footing as the soldier kept on pushing him back relentlessly. Crashing on his back, Ukiah reacted by kicking his legs out, entangling them in with the soldier's. Tripped up, he fell forward and over Ukiah. Wasting no time, Ukiah swung his dagger around and right into the side of the fallen opponent.

"Gaggghhhh!" The soldier screamed in agony and rolling off of Ukiah. Turning his head, he glared at Ukiah as he stood himself up. Waiting for him to finish him, the soldier pretended to accept his defeat. He wasn't going down with taking this kid with him. As Ukiah stood in front of him to deal the final blow, he lunged forward with his remaining energy and took out Ukiah's legs.

"Waaahhh-oof!" Ukiah coughed out, feeling the soldier lay on top of him. Dazed from the sudden change in situation, he was shocked to see the soldier kneel over him with blood dripping out of the corners of his mouth. His eyes were dark and full of hate. Rasing his shield high, he was about to crash it into Ukiah's head, when a single spike flew out of nowhere and into the other side of the soldier.

Ukiah gasped as he felt the weight be thrown off of him. Looking in the direction that he saw the spike, he was relieved to see Astrid riding Stormfly, gently landing next to him.

"Stop hesitating!" She shouted, glaring at him "You soaking in your victory almost cost you your life!"

Rolling onto his feet, Ukiah could only huff out "Thanks…"

Astrid just shook her head, still angry with him. "Come on! We lost this part of the beach! We need to rally with the others before we push back!"

Ukiah turned to see a large group of soldiers already constructing barriers, while others stood guard with spears and bolas. Also seeing the remaining Berk warriors retreating, Ukiah nodded in agreement. "Let's go then…" He groaned, jogging alongside Stormfly.

Arrow then roared, running from where he dragged the soldier into the ocean. Blood stained the side of his face, telling exactly how gruesome of a kill it turned into.

"Where's Hiccup?" Ukiah asked, looking up at Astrid.

"He's making sure everyone else is getting away." Astrid replied "That's why I found you fighting that one soldier."

"Good thing you did…" He huffed, arriving at a group of men, who were all ready to charge.

"Ukiah, are you alright?" Stoick asked, walking through the crowd.

"Fine, a little roughed up, but still kicking." Ukiah replied, relaxing for a moment.

Nodding, Stoick turned to Astrid, also asking "You too, Astrid?"

"I can keep going all day!" Astrid replied, grinning at her chief.

Stoick, again, only nodded. Turning to face the men, he shouted "Form up! Hold together! They can't stop all of us at once!"

Ukiah reloaded his crossbow, making sure it was locked and ready to go. Satisfied, he slung over his back and climbed on top of Arrow. Walking alongside Astrid, he then said "We'll be with you two."

"Just try to keep up!" Astrid teased, smirking at him.

Smiling, Ukiah turned to face the Thariin soldiers all preparing for the assault. Narrowing his eyes, he found his target. Standing in the middle of his men, Strogg easily stood out. He was at least six inches higher than even his biggest soldier, and the giant was glaring at Ukiah. Taking a deep breath, he whispered "You're mine, Strogg. You're mine."

* * *

Strogg glared at Ukiah. He watched him fight on the sandy beach, and knew he was adapting to fighting. Growling, he knew that his men stood little chance against a direct assault. Especially if the dragons kept up their relentless strikes. If it had been any other tribe, they would have easily fallen due to the sheer numbers of his army. But this was Berk, and they had dragon riders. His fleet wasn't ready for an assault they were hit with. He had to find a way to stop the onslaught, and give his men a rest. He needed to even the battlefield.

A high pitch scream then sounded to his right, causing him and some of his men to turn and look. Hiccup, riding the Night Fury, were taking a long banking turn, lining up for a shot. There it was. His opportunity. Growling, Strogg grabbed a pair of bolas out of a soldier's hand. Twirling them around, he began to mutter some numbers out loud. His men spread away from him, not wanting to be hit with the swinging bolas.

"Come on…a little closer…" He growled, watching Hiccup line up for a shot, and heading straight at him.

Then, just as he expected, the Night Fury fired his blue blast right into the front lines. His eyesight clouded by the explosion, he didn't need to see Hiccup to throw the bolas; he knew where he was going to be. Throwing them over his head and right at the direction expected Hiccup to be at, he simply waited for his reward.

Hiccup, finished his strafe, flying through the smoke that Toothless created. His vision clearing up, he stared in horror as a pair of bolas flew and hit Toothless in the wing.

"No!" He shouted, feeling Toothless plummet to the ground. Toothless roared in anger and shock, unable to pull up.

The two crashed onto the beach, rolling in the sand and throwing Hiccup off the saddle. When he finally stopped rolling, he crawled to his hands and knees. His world was rocked, and he was trying to shake off the disorientation. Struggling to stand up, he slowly made his way to Toothless, who was tangled up in the bolas. "Hold on bud, I gotcha…" Hiccup whispered, stumbling as he approached his dragon. Suddenly, he felt himself hefted backwards. Trying to fight the firm grip on him, he looked up to Strogg and Malke looking down at him.

"No…we got you." Strogg growled, turning and dragging Hiccup along. Turning to Malke, he ordered "Keep the dragon pinned. I'll be right back."

"Gah! Let go!" Hiccup shouted, unable to fight the strength of the behemoth. "Toothless!" He continued to shout, pulling against Strogg's grip.

"Shut up." Strogg growled, pushing aside his men to make a pathway "If you want to keep your other foot, stop struggling."

Hiccup refused to let up, though it didn't really make a difference. Arriving at the front lines, he was then shoved onto his knees in front of him. He looked up at Strogg with anger on his face, which disappeared as he saw him hold a massive axe over him. Turning to where the Berkians were lined up, he saw his dad, Gobber, Astrid and Ukiah stare at him in horror. This was really bad.

"Stoick!" Strogg called out, keeping the axe hanging over Hiccup "You charge us and he's dead!"


	21. Chapter 21

_**Chapter Twenty One**_

Stoick had a vein in his neck bulge out. Seeing his son on his knees with an axe over his head caused a rage swell up inside of him. No matter how much bigger Strogg was, he could kill him right then and there if he had the chance to do so. Unable to really vent his anger, he simply looked away and swallowed it. He had to get his son away from that maniac. Finally looking at Strogg in the eye, he shouted "You hurt him in any way, and I'll make sure you don't leave this island alive!"

"I'm sure." Strogg replied coldly, his eyes narrowing at Stoick "I'm not wanting to negotiate for your son. Not yet at least. This is just a warning. If I see anything that looks like a dragon fly over us, he and his Night Fury are dead! I'm demanding that you let us be for the night, and in return, I won't kill him."

Stoick glared at Strogg, seeing that he was just buying himself time to set up his forces. Unable to refuse or counter the demand, he simply nodded. Stepping forward, he shouted "You and your men aren't to leave that spot! If I see anything that looks like you're trying to do anything to give you more of an advantage, we'll charge in with our dragons, and save him ourselves!"

"A dream's chance." Strogg spat back. Then, in a more calming tone, agreed "I just want to rest my men from the slaughter you did to them. Just like those Crevites before."

"You invaded us! Do not blame your men's deaths on us!" Stoick quickly snapped "And don't pretend you're noble in your quest to end the last Crevite! You're just like them! Murderer!"

"Enough!" Strogg roared, glaring at Stoick "Meet me here as the sun sets! We'll talk about what you can do to get your son and his Night Fury back!"

Stoick just glared at Strogg as he grabbed Hiccup's arm and dragged him back where his men had started to set up camp. Reluctantly, as Hiccup disappeared from his view, he turned and whispered "Fall back. I want guards along the cliffs in case they try to climb them at night. Keep the bulk of the men by the docks." Turning to Gobber and Ukiah, he whispered "Come with me. We need to talk."

Ukiah could only nod. He stared at where the Thariin soldiers were setting up barricades and tents. All he could think about was that Hiccup and Toothless shouldn't be there. They didn't deserve to be captured! It was his fault! His people's fault! A cold anger swept over him, strangely calming him. He had to kill Strogg. He had too.

"Ukiah! Let's go!" Stoick's gruff voice called out.

Letting out an angry breath, Ukiah let Arrow turn and follow the army of Berkians away from the Thariin camp; leaving Hiccup and Toothless behind.

* * *

The three arrived into the Chief's house. After setting up some sentries along the cliffs above the beach, Stoick asked the remaining dragon riders, minus Ukiah, to patrol behind the village, just in case Strogg had another ship try to sneak behind. Astrid, though begrudgingly because she wanted to be with Stoick and Ukiah, took charge of the patrols and sent each rider on their own path.

Ukiah opened the door, holding it open for Stoick and Gobber. The trek was silent, leaving each to their own thoughts. As they walked in, and Ukiah closed the door, Stoick sat down in his chair, staring blankly at the fireless fire pit.

Ukiah couldn't help but feel the guilt cut through his heart. Here was the man willing to defend him, in the shadow of the possibility of losing his only child. His son.

With furrowing eyes, Stoick looked up at Ukiah, who looked like he was pondering the situation as well. "We all know what he's going to ask for Hiccup, right?" He asked aloud.

"A free pass out of here with me." Ukiah whispered back, folding his arms and staring at the fire pit as well "I'm more than ready to make the trade Stoick. It's my fault that Strogg has him."

"I don't want to do that." Stoick growled, shaking his head at the suggestion.

"What choice will we have?" Ukiah asked, trying his best to rein in his voice from yelling "Strogg came here to get me. To kill me. Unless we try to fake my death, which I'm sure won't convince Strogg until he's separated my head from my body, what else can we give him?"

Stoick glared at Ukiah, slowly standing up from his seat. Ukiah couldn't help but feel a sudden sense of fear. Stoick was a no nonsense kind of guy, and he knew his threats were real; as were his passions. "I said that's not going to be an option." He repeated quietly, his voice growing cold.

"Stoick!" Ukiah cried out in disbelief "This is your son we're talking about!"

"Hold on Ukiah, let's see what he's thinking about first." Gobber replied, resting his good hand on Ukiah's shoulder.

Before Stoick could continue, the door suddenly burst open, causing all three to whirl around. Standing there was Astrid, her eyes glaring with anger. "Chief, I'm sitting in here too!" She demanded "This involves me as much as you and Ukiah!"

"Astrid, get out and go hel-" Stoick began to order, only to be cut off by her.

"The others are already on their patrols!" She shouted, standing up to the chief "Whether you like it or not, I'm sitting in this little meeting of yours! Not just because Hiccup's my friend, but I was there too! I was the one that ran into the arena to save Ukiah, I was the one that took him away from Strogg!"

Stoick stared at Astrid, furious that she wasn't going to listen to him regardless of how threatening he made himself appear. Shaking his head he let out a long sigh. "Just this time, but I don't want you disobeying my orders anymore. Understand?"

"I do." Astrid replied firmly, nodding in agreement. She wasn't usually this difficult when Stoick asked her to do anything. But this was an exception. She knew that whatever they were going to be talking about, it would involve both her friend's lives; as well as their dragons.

"Gobber. Why don't you go get Gothi?" Stoick asked, turning to his friend.

"I was just about to suggest that." Gobber replied, walking towards the open door "I shouldn't be too long."

"Why is he getting Gothi?" Ukiah asked, looking at Stoick with confusion.

"To help with my idea." Stoick replied with a serious expression on his face "If you let me explain it to you, maybe you'll agree with me."

Realizing Stoick actually had an idea, and was rebuking him for acting like he did, Ukiah slowly nodded while taking a seat in an empty chair. "Sorry Stoick…I just…I can't help but blame myself for what happened."

"Don't. It was me who took you with us." Stoick growled, accepting the apology in his own way. Looking at Ukiah, he then said "I'm still not liking my idea completely, but…if you agree, you could get your desire to fight Strogg, and save Hiccup."

Ukiah's head perked at the suggestion. "How?" He asked "Why would he fight me, rather than trade for me with Hiccup?"

"Because it's who he is, Ukiah." Stoick answered "What I'm suggesting, is…" His voice trailed off a little, hesitating on even thinking it.

"Stoick. If it's a chance to get Hiccup away from that maniac, I'm already on board." Ukiah threw in, looking at him with resolution.

"Strogg is very prideful. He likes to flaunt his strength and achievements." Stoick began to say "His arena back in Thariin, the Keep that he had built, even when he was simply walking around."

Both Ukiah and Astrid stared at Stoick with intensity, making a mental note that they had picked up that vibe from him as well.

"I'm asking you to challenge Strogg tonight. To challenge him for Hiccup." Stoick quietly asked "He won't turn it down. Especially if it comes from you. In his mind, he'll think he's going to get what he wants; and he'll have a crowd watching him."

Ukiah didn't even have to think about the idea. He instantly stood up, saying "Of course I'll challenge him! I'll do it right now if you want me too!"

"Hold on." Astrid asked, stepping up to the two "Say Strogg does accept the challenge. What's to say Ukiah can actually beat him?" Looking at Ukiah, she added "I'm not saying you can't, but what happens to Hiccup if Strogg wins? Does he get what he wants with Ukiah and a prize?"

Ukiah thought about what she was saying, realizing that more was potentially at stake than just him.

"That's why I asked Gobber to get Gothi." Stoick answered, pulling his thoughts back to the current conversation. "The Crev were powerful warriors. Not only because they lived it day for day, or the fact that it was in their bloodline, but they had a connection with their ancestors. They were a mysterious people, and were almost empowered by their shaman like rituals."

"You're getting Gothi to teach me how to meditate…" Ukiah whispered, seeing the reason why Gobber went to get her.

"Exactly. If you can…find yourself, then Strogg won't be facing just any warrior; he'll be facing a Crevite warrior. He'll have more than his hands full." Then softly, he added "This is the only way I can think of to get Hiccup back without giving you up." Looking at Ukiah in the eyes, he asked "Do you think you can beat Strogg? Can you get my son back? Be honest with me, Ukiah."

"Stoick. Strogg will fall by my hand." Ukiah replied resolutely, sitting up straight "I already resolved to kill that man before you talked to me about this. I promise I'll get Hiccup back. I will not fall. Not to him." Then, a lot softer, whispered "I'll get Hiccup back."

"Thank you…" Stoick whispered, his eyes softening "I made a lot of mistakes with him. I don't want this to be another. If you have any reservations, please tell me.

"Stoick." Ukiah began to say "All I need is a little time with Gothi, and to meditate. I'll be ready to fight way before I actually do."

Stoick nodded, his face unchanging "Come on, let's meet up with them."

Ukiah followed Stoick, as did Astrid. Looking at him, she whispered "How confident are you that you can beat him?"

"Astrid, I understand your concern. But I'm not lying when I say I know I can beat him. I know it." Ukiah whispered back, his eyes burning into hers "I can't lose. Not when I have friends I've promised I'd protect."

* * *

Ukiah glided Arrow over the cove that Hiccup brought him earlier that morning. It was late afternoon and he had just finished listening to Gothi. Well, Gobber actually.

Gothi had told him about how he was essentially entitled to visions. Ones that held answers for him to interpret. How that would help him fight? He had no idea. But he was going to do as he was instructed, and left to be alone to ponder the future events that would soon unfold.

Letting Arrow land gently, he slowly dismounted off of him. Soaking in the serene moment, he wished Hiccup could be there with him to enjoy the moment; but then again, if Hiccup could be there with him, he wouldn't need to be here. Walking to the edge of the pond, he knelt down and looked at himself through the reflection of the water. The charcoal he used for his war paint had smeared all over his face, making him look like a vagabond, rather than a warrior; or a friend. Kneeling down, he splashed his face and cleaned himself up. Scrubbing the remaining amounts of black off of him, he turned to see Arrow looking at him with concern.

"I'm alright friend. Just need to focus for a little bit." He answered, giving him a short smile. Turning to face the pond ahead of him, he promptly sat down on the damp bank. His mind turned to a moment that he couldn't explain, and had no answer for. It was the only time he thought it was a dream that was supposed to mean something. Back on the Berk ship, right before he woke up, he dreamed of a strange island. Full of canyons and rocks. A large, single, and broken statue in the center of what appeared to be a village square. And then the skeleton he was never able to see in detail. What was it supposed to mean?

Crossing his legs, as Gothi instructed him to do, Ukiah stared across the still pond. Having never done this before, he didn't really know how to start. Shrugging slightly, he began to think about his history. By birth, he was supposed to become a murderer, someone who killed with no emotion. Feeling his pulse quicken slightly at the thought, he gently shook his head to try and get it out of his head, but to no avail. Why were they killers? Why were they like Strogg? Was another's life that meaningless to them?

Opening his eyes, he gazed across the pond. Clouds drifted by in the reflection, as if unaware of the seriousness of the circumstances below.

Looking down at his own reflection, he saw that he had missed a few spots with the charcoal. Not caring to clean it up, he resumed his thoughts on his people. Why couldn't they've been like the people of Berk? Maybe if they were different, they'd have been the ones to train dragons.

Frowning, Ukiah let out an angry vent. He was not like his people. He didn't kill for sport, or for status. He killed to protect his friends.

His friends…

The thought of Hiccup, Astrid, Toothless, Stormfly, Gobber, and Stoick made him relish in the sweet joy he had in being with them. Closing his eyes, he thought of each one individually.

Hiccup was the one that taught him how to ride dragons, and taught him how to be a friend back. The fact that Strogg had him in his camp made him quiver in anger. His friend, was a hostage to brutal killer. He couldn't let him down.

Gobber was more help in teaching him how to be human while being a warrior. And helped him initially learn about his past. He was patient with him, even when he was wrong. Though goofy and rarely stressed, he was dependable and wise. In his own way.

Stoick. Stoick risked everything to protect him; including his only son. For a wrong he may have done years past, he was doing everything to fight for Ukiah, even if it meant risking Hiccup. He had also placed his faith in him to save Hiccup. The thought alone made his chest burn with pride and resolution. The fact that he was standing behind him, made him even more confident in his abilities to fight Strogg.

Astrid…the thought of her made him feel a calming feeling rush over. She was special to him. Even if she didn't feel the exact same as him, she would always be a reason for him to fight. She saved his life more than one occasion, she fought by his side in the arena, and had been the one to free him from Strogg in the first place.

And Arrow. The entire reason for the events that happened in just the past month. The dragon that first became a friend, was now more like family to him. The thought of losing him to Strogg while in the arena was almost too much to bear. If for anyone, he would die for the one that changed his life forever. And for the better too.

Sighing, Ukiah opened his eyes, expecting to see the pond. Instead, he saw something that took his breath away. A battlefield. He stared in shock as he watched Vikings rage against each other. He seemed to be magically floating around the scene, watching individual fights take place. His vision passed by the fighting, as if heading to a stone room, carved into the side of a canyon.

Then it hit him. He was back at the place he saw in his dream!

With the new revelation proceeding before him, he watched the fighting more closely. Some soldiers had basic armor, and looked pretty generic. The others they were fighting had blackened weapons. On their faces was an oh so familiar sight to him. A black diagonal line from high left to low right.

His people's war paint.

He was watching the battle that destroyed his home. In disbelief, he found himself standing within the battle. Those fighting seemed to ignore him, as if he wasn't there. Walking through the battlefield, he found the room he walked into previously. A fire raged near the doorway, making it impossible to see what was inside.

Suddenly, a lone soldier charged towards the room, raising a sword above his head. Just as he was reaching the doorway, he fell forward dead. Confused at what happened, Ukiah watched as a man with a crossbow leaped through the doorway. He wore a black cloak, and blackened chainmail. Behind him emerged a lady, carrying a single baby. Their faces were blurred, providing no detail on who they were.

The apparent father turned and ordered the lady something. The mother angrily shook her head, which she turned to and shouted into the room. The silent conversation entranced Ukiah, realizing he was watching something he would never know otherwise.

Another lady appeared from the room, a young hand maid. Ukiah gasped as he stared at her. Though younger, he recognized the face. It was Jessika. His guardian.

The mother handed the baby to her, pointing in a direction and then looked down at the baby. She was looking at him. Ukiah, as a babe.

"Mom…" He choked, staring at the blurred figure. Looking over at the father; no, his father; he couldn't even choke out the words. His parents, were right before him; yet, he couldn't say anything to them.

Jessika clutched him close with both arms, and sprinted away from the battle. A soldier started to chase her, only to get a bolt plunged into the center of his back.

"That's how…" Ukiah whispered, watching him get carried away by Jessika.

Turning around, he was shocked to see himself alone, with his parents standing before him. The battle had disappeared, and he was standing with them in the desolate remains of his village. Though their faces blurred, he could see them smiling. The thoughts of his parents being evil killers left his mind, as he stared at the calming smiles both of them carried. He wished he could have seen what they looked like.

His mother walked up to him, still smiling. In one motion, she raised her hand and tenderly rested it against his cheek. Ukiah closed his eyes, relishing the moment. A single tear rolled out of his eye, making him wish he could have known her. Feeling her wipe away the tear, tried his hardest to keep himself from crying any more.

After what felt like a few brief seconds, he opened his eyes and found himself face to face with his dad. Though blurred, the smile never faded. Suddenly, he reached up and grabbed Ukiah's shoulder with his right hand. Shaking him gently, he then pushed the crossbow he was carrying into Ukiah's chest. Forced to grab it, he looked down at it. The metal arms were blackened, just like all the other weapons and armor he saw. However, a small blade protruded from the front, making it lethal to bash someone with.

Clutching the crossbow, he looked up and found himself staring at an empty pond. The sun was low, barely starting to sink behind the trees around him. Trying to recover from what he witnessed, he looked back down and saw that he was clutching his own crossbow. He knew the message his father passed onto him.

Arrow, who watched Ukiah eagerly, gently bumped him to see if he was alright.

Turning to face his dragon, Ukiah let out a small smile. "Friend…I'm going to win. I promise you."

* * *

"Hmmmhhhh…" Strogg muttered, staring at the direction that Berk's warriors were camped at on the other end of the beach. The sun was halfway down in the ocean, and there was still no sign of Stoick. Looking down at Hiccup, who was on his knees with his hands tied behind his back, he teased "Think your father forgot you, boy?"

Hiccup didn't say anything, but kept on staring at the camp ahead. His leather vest was taken off of him, where he only had his green tunic.

Seeing him remain quite, Strogg shrugged and turned to Malke, who stood on his other side "Perhaps we should just sail away. Let Berk come to us to discuss the boy's freedom."

Hiccup fidgeted slightly, not because of the possibility of being taken to Thariin, but Toothless was heavily on his mind. What was to become of him? What did Strogg have planned for the rare Night Fury? A life in the arena? The thought made him squirm a second time. "Hang in there bud…" He whispered to himself, trying to calm the anxious thoughts flying through his head.

"Ho, Strogg." Stoick's voice called out, walking out of the camp and towards him.

"Stoick. Thought you forgot about us." Strogg teased, smirking at the approaching Stoick. Gobber, Astrid, and Ukiah were with him, and all unarmed; just like themselves.

Ukiah wished he could just send a bolt into Strogg, seeing Hiccup tied up and his vest removed from him.

"Enough." Stoick quickly replied, cutting off all chances to jeer at him. Stopping a good ten feet away, he looked at Hiccup with concern. Seeing his son on his knees made him rage silently inside. Swallowing it, he asked "Are they hurting you son?"

"No. Though the ropes are pretty tight." Hiccup grunted sarcastically, looking up at his dad.

"We've treated him and his dragon more than fair." Strogg replied, cutting in the conversation "Given what he did to my men and ships!"

"Are you going to waste my time with this petty bantering?" Stoick growled, narrowing his eyes at Strogg.

"Of course not." Strogg replied, his eyes also narrowing. Gesturing to Ukiah, he then said "I think you already know the price. Ukiah for Hiccup, and his dragon, Arrow, for Hiccup's Night Fury."

Before Ukiah could step up, he was stopped by Stoick, who said "What about your champion and his remaining men for Toothless? What value do they carry?"

"Ugo's alive?" Malke gaped, staring at Stoick. Turning to Strogg, he whispered "We have to get him back!"

"Malke! Shut up and let me do the talking." Strogg growled, glaring at Malke and making him back away. Turning to Stoick, he then said "How do I know he's still alive?"

"You don't." Stoick growled, glaring at Strogg "Just like I don't know you'll keep your word! We'll bring him and his men to you tomorrow for the dragon."

Strogg pondered the suggested trade. Shrugging, he smiled and said "Fair enough. But that still leaves Hiccup without a trade…"

"Oh, don't worry Strogg. I have a proposal for you." Stoick replied, his voice getting cold.

"If it's not Ukiah, I won't agree to anything." Strogg put out, stepping towards Stoick "Don't waste my time."

"I propose a duel." Stoick announced, ignoring the demand "I know you Strogg. If I give you Ukiah, you'll just kill him while your men watch. How about we just let you two settle your differences tomorrow at noon?"

Hiccup's head perked up in shock, staring at Ukiah whose face was stone.

"This is what you wanted isn't it?" Stoick continued to say, staring at a smug looking Strogg "Your own audience! Who better than the friends of your challenger to watch!"

"Stop speaking, Stoick. I want to talk to Ukiah about this." Strogg replied, turning his full attention to Ukiah "You choose to do this on your own free will and choice?"

"More than what you gave me in your arena." Ukiah growled back, his eyes narrowing.

Strogg didn't show, but he silently let out a shocked breath. The face was determined, just like the warriors he faced when he destroyed his tribe.

"I'm challenging you Strogg…I learned what my tribe was, but I'm not like them. I won't kill you for the sake of killing. But to help those that helped me." Then his hazel eyes darkened to almost a black, as he hissed "And to avenge my parents."

Strogg quickly dismissed his shock, shrugging at Ukiah's statement "Admirable, but stupid. Your people were nothing but killers and murderers. Sure, I may not be better than them, but I only destroyed one tribe. Do you even know how many yours destroyed?" Then, lowering his voice, he whispered "Say what you will about your own motives; you're still one of them. Nothing will change that."

"I don't plan on changing what I am, just the reason why I do what I do." Ukiah growled back, his eyes not backing down from his.

"So, noon tomorrow." Stoick interjected, seeing the two inch closer to each other.

"On one condition, Stoick." Strogg snarled, looking up at his former friend "Actually two. None of your men will be armed, as none of mine will be either."

"Fine." Stoick agreed, frowning at the thought of another condition.

"I'm only going to agree if I have a prize too. As far as I'm concerned, when I beat Ukiah, I don't get a reward. If Ukiah beats me, he gets both Hiccup back and me dead.

Stoick's blood froze, seeing where Strogg was going.

"I want you to put up someone that you have to give up if Ukiah loses." Strogg continued to explain, a slow, evil smile appearing on his face.

"I'll find someone. Don't worry about that." Stoick answered, trying to cut off any more chances of him adding to his request. But it was no good.

Shaking his head, Strogg looked over at Astrid, his evil smile widening "I want Astrid."

"No! She has nothing to do with the two of us!" Ukiah barked, taking a step up to Strogg.

"Oh? Like Hiccup doesn't either?" Strogg replied back, his voice dripping with an uncaring, cold tone "She's either on the wager, or I won't accept your challenge."

"Fine! I'll be there!" Astrid yelled, catching everyone's attention.

"What are you doing?!" Ukiah hissed, staring at her in dismay.

"Astrid! No!" Hiccup shouted, only to be grabbed by Malke and hefted back towards the camp "Let go!" He continued to shout, fighting Malke the best he could. Looking at Astrid, he continued to shout "Don't do it Astrid!"

"I'll be there Strogg! I'll be ready to go with you. If! You beat Ukiah." She continued to shout, ignoring everyone's protests "But I promise he won't fall to you."

Strogg just grinned, nodding in acknowledgement. Turning to Ukiah, he whispered "I accept, boy. I hope you bring more than a crossbow and a dagger. I've walked through more than a few of those in my lifetime…" At that, he turned and walked away, following Malke and a protesting Hiccup. "Bring Ugo and his remaining men tomorrow Stoick. I'll trade the Night Fury for them."

The four watched him depart, disappearing into the camp.

"Ukiah…it's all in your hands now." Stoick whispered grimly, staring at the Thariin camp.

Not replying, Ukiah just thought to himself "I can't lose. I won't lose. Strogg thinks I'm just boy that is a Crevite. He's wrong. I am a Crevite warrior! Turning to Gobber, he then asked "Can you help me with some of my gear? I…have an idea.

"Of course, my forge is yours as long as you need it." Gobber replied, trying to sound optimistic.

"Thank you. And, out of curiosity, do you happen to have any chainmail?" Ukiah asked, a small grin forming on his face.


	22. Chapter 22

_**Chapter Twenty Two**_

Ukiah shoveled more white hot coals on top of the chainmail he placed in the forge, spreading them evenly across it. It was well late into the night, and Gobber had been more than helpful in the short time they had. Having blackened his crossbow arms, as well as a short blade he attached to the front of it, Gobber was busy fletching some new crossbow bolts with different arrow heads. They were vicious, barbed looking ones; giving them the appearance of a small harpoon. Arrow was the inspiration behind them, his body looking like an arrowhead.

"There ya' go, Ukiah." Gobber announced, walking up to him with a smile. Placing the bolts next to the quiver, he added "Big or not, these bolts will do a number on anyone they hit." Looking at the blackened crossbow, he then commented "Interesting that you wanted to do this. Any reason why?"

"Well…an idea was given to me. During that little vision I had." Ukiah replied, a small smile growing on his face. Though he told everyone about his vision, he kept out the part that he met his parents and that he was mimicking his dad. Gesturing to the door with his head, he then said "I'm almost done with the chainmail and dagger. Go ahead and get home."

"Don't stay up too much longer, Ukiah." Gobber cautioned, looking at Ukiah skeptically "You need more rest than I do. Why don't you hit the sack, and I'll finish up for you."

"Thanks Gobber, but I'd like to be alone for a moment. I just need to think about tomorrow." Ukiah replied, turning to face the forge that was blackening his remaining gear.

Nodding, Gobber patted Ukiah on the shoulder and then turned to head out. Stopping at the doorway, he turned and said "Whatever happens Ukiah, I can tell you Stoick and Berk will have no regrets for taking you under our wing. I promise you that's true."

Ukiah turned and faced Gobber. "That means a lot to me Gobber. It really does." Then a lot more confidently, he added "I'm going to get Hiccup back, and end Strogg's life. Don't worry Gobber, this is something I can promise."

Gobber smiled, nodding in acknowledgement. Turning, he then disappeared into the night, leaving Ukiah alone.

Letting out a long sigh, Ukiah turned to face the forge. Letting his mind get caught up in the flames, he swore he was re-watching the battle he witnessed in his vision. Shaking his head, he looked away from the flames. Though his people were killers, they were still made up of families and had children in the village. They loved each other; at least, that was the feeling he got when he was alone with his parents. Shaking his head, he then whispered "Does it make it right with who they were?" His thoughts were interrupted as he heard a light knocking on the door.

Turning, he saw Astrid standing there. She had a small object in her hand, concealed with a cloth.

"Astrid! What are you doing up?" Ukiah asked, standing up and walking to her.

"You really thought that I wouldn't be awake and thinking about what's going to happen tomorrow? I'm basically collateral for the fight to take place." She replied, forcing a nervous smile "Besides, I knew you'd be up. Had to come down and check on you. Make sure you're not getting into any more trouble than what you're going to be in."

Realizing that she was just as anxious and nervous as anyone else, probably more so since she was directly involved in the fight, he gently guided her to a chair and sat her down. "Heh, I guess I should have known better…" He whispered, putting a wry smile on to try and comfort her. Returning his focus to the chainmail and dagger in the forge, he grabbed some heavy tongs and started to pull each one out.

"What are you doing anyways?" She asked, watching him hang the chain mail shirt on a hook.

"Blackening my weapons. Like my crossbow over there." He replied, making sure the glowing chainmail wouldn't fall "Gobber helped me coat my gear in some oil, and the heat will stain it through."

"Why…?" Astrid asked, raising an eyebrow as Ukiah pulled out his dagger's blade. Because the handle was wood, Gobber had to remove the blade from it, in order to set it in the forge. Unfortunately, it destroyed his handle, though Gobber said he'd put it in a new one in the morning.

Setting the blade on an anvil to let it cool, he then set the tongs down and took a seat across from her. Seeing her curious looking eyes, he finally decided to tell her exactly why he was doing what he was doing. Looking at her in the eye, he whispered "Can you keep a secret? Not tell anyone what I'm going to say?"

Surprised that he had a secret to begin with, she slowly nodded her head to agree.

"I didn't tell anyone this, but…" Ukiah began to say, almost hesitant "What I saw in my vision, wasn't just an assurance that I can beat Strogg. I saw my people. I saw…myself."

"Wait, what do you mean you saw yourself?" Astrid asked in confusion.

"As a baby." Ukiah whispered, looking down "I watched the battle that destroyed my tribe. The one that turned me into the last known Crevite."

Astrid gaped at him, unsure if he was telling the truth or if he lost his mind.

"I saw Jessika, my guardian, take me and run away from the battle." Ukiah continued to whisper, not taking his eyes off the ground "She took me…from my mom. While my dad defended both of them."

"You saw…you're parents?" Astrid whispered, staring at Ukiah in surprise.

Nodding, he continued to explain "Their faces were blurred, but…I saw them. During the vision, or whatever it was, I found myself alone with them. They didn't say anything to me, but my mom…she touched my check. It was real! I felt her hand wipe away a tear…"

Astrid just stared at him, realizing he was starting to get emotional as he recalled what happened.

"Then my dad…he walked up to me and grabbed my shoulder. He gripped it tightly and gently shook me; as if assuring me. He then shoved his crossbow into my chest, which I promptly took." Reaching, he grabbed his crossbow and held it out for both of them to see "It was like this. Black arms and a black blade at the end of it. His armor was blackened too. The way he pushed it into me, I know he was telling me that I needed this." Looking up at Astrid with misting eyes, he whispered "Astrid. I'm not just fighting for you, or Hiccup, or Berk; I'm fighting to avenge them. They may have been killers, or maybe just my dad; but I do know they loved me. I won't get the luxury of being able to see what they looked like. I never will. Because of what Strogg did to them. I will make sure he pays for the killings he did, and the deaths he caused."

Astrid just kept looking at him, seeing his face grow resolute. For the first time since she agreed to be the prize for Strogg, she felt calm. She somehow knew he would win. Relieved at first, she then felt a proud feeling overcome her. She was proud of him! Ukiah was a warrior. And was going to be a good one.

Slowly nodding her head, she then said "Ukiah…it's strange, but…I feel like I know you'll win. I'm not nervous anymore."

"I don't know what'll happen, Astrid." Ukiah began to say "It's not going to be easy; but Strogg is severely underestimating me. And I'll make sure he knows too, when I run my dagger into his heart." Looking at her in the eyes, he then re-affirmed "I will make sure you and Hiccup are safe from him."

"And I believe you." Astrid replied, a small smile forming on her face. Slightly looking down from his stare, she then whispered "Ukiah…there was a reason why I came here."

Ukiah's head perked a little, unsure of what to expect.

"I wanted you to fight with this. At least take it with you." She whispered, revealing the object in her hand. It was a dagger. The one with the wolf carved in the handle. "I know I gave this to you a few days ago, but I thought it'd help you during the fight. To show that I'm with you and helping you out."

"Astrid…" Ukiah whispered, taking the dagger gently. Though she gave it to him a few days ago, he completely forgot about it. Gently taking it, he stared at it. The wolf's blue eyes glistened in the forge's flame. He found the handle for his blade. Looking into her blue eyes, he whispered "Thank you, Astrid…I'll definitely be using it tomorrow during the fight."

Smiling, she stood up from her seat. Walking over to him, she quickly kissed him on the cheek, whispering "Be careful. And don't gloat in your victory until it's over." At that, she turned and ran out of the shop.

Ukiah stared out of the door, in complete shock of what she just did. Watching her run into the night, he let a small smile grow on his face. Shaking his head ever so slightly, he whispered "Thank you, Astrid. Meant the world to me…"

* * *

The sun beat down on the arena. Though the day was clear and bright, it was polar opposite of what was being felt. The arena had an uneasy tension in the air. Berk's villagers and warriors were all crowded around one side of the arena, as Strogg and his men gathered on the opposite side.

"Stoick!" Strogg shouted, strutting into the arena as if he were going to a picnic. Looking up at where Stoick was standing above the arena, he then shouted "I want to get this over with as soon as possible. It's a long trip back to Thariin. Is Astrid ready to go?" The chieftain carried his massive two handed war axe with one hand, letting it rest against his shoulder. His shoulder plates were polished and glistening in the sunlight. The long black cape remained attached to him, as he refused to take it off. He wore thick leather vest over his usual yellow and black shirt. On his fore arms were metal guards, though for show rather than usefulness. On his right guard though, were etches. Each etch signified who fell to him, and it was not a small amount.

"Business first, Strogg. Where's Toothless?" Stoick called out, his eyes unmoving at the giant man.

"Right here. As promised" Strogg gestured to his right. Sure enough, out of the crowd of Thariin soldiers, Toothless was dragged into view. Ropes kept him pinned down, and a large leather strap muzzled him. "Now…my men?"

Stoick turned and nodded to Gobber, who then shouted something. A small crowd of men were marched forward, with Ugo leading them. All of them had their hands tied in front of them, and had a long rope tied to each prisoner.

Ugo turned to see Strogg standing in the center of the arena, dressed in his armor. Confusion on his face, he was then ushered into the crowd of soldiers that started cheering as their lost comrades returned.

Toothless was quickly pulled into the Berk side, where he was promptly freed. The dragon roared angrily turning to face the Thariin soldiers. If it weren't for all the men holding him back, he would have charged back into the soldiers.

"Where's Hiccup, Strogg?" Stoick demanded, glaring down at Strogg.

"Where's Astrid?" Strogg retorted back, sending his own glare at Stoick.

"I'm here Strogg." Astrid called out, walking alongside Stoick. "Now where's Hiccup?" She repeated.

Smiling, Strogg signaled his men with a wave of his hand. Out of the crowd of soldiers, was Hiccup. Still in his green tunic, his arms were still tied behind his back; except this time, he had a cloth wrapped around his mouth, effectively gagging him.

"Now that we got that settled, would Ukiah like to come show his face? I hope he's going to make me sweat a little! I could use the exercise!" Strogg roared, beating his chest and laughing at Stoick. This brought a cheer from his men, which echoed loudly in the air.

"Open it." Stoick whispered to a villager standing ready.

Thunk! A massive bolt began to slide out of the door to one of the dragon cages. Strogg just stood there smiling, raising an eyebrow out of curiosity.

As the heavy duty bolt pulled out completely, one gate slowly opened. Out of the darkened room, came Ukiah. Wearing a black chainmail shirt, that was lined with fur padding underneath. The sleeves ran all the way down to his arms, the metal links stopping flush with his wrists. He also had a thick, solid, and consistent black line running diagonal on his face. From high left to low right. His crossbow hung loosely in front of him, loaded and ready to be used. His dagger was now strapped to his hip, as his chainmail wouldn't let him equip it over his chest. The quiver was strapped on the other side of his hip; though now it was also tied tightly to his leg, rather than hanging loosely.

"Well…it seems history is to repeat itself today..." Strogg called out loudly, lifting his axe off his shoulder. His smile disappeared as he continued to look over Ukiah. He was dressed exactly like some of the men he fought against, and it bothered him. Trying to let the appearance roll off, he shrugged and put up a casual smile "Stoick must've told you exactly what and who you are. A murderous killer…"

"I guess it takes one to know one." Ukiah replied, barely loud enough to be heard. His eyes were unmoving. The hazel color was depleted, leaving black, empty holes. "You may be right about me, being a merciless killer like my people before me, but there's one thing that differs me from you. I won't lose. Strogg, you've lived your entire life pushing over others to get your way. That stops today. Today, I'm pushing you over."

His voice was calmed and resolute. He was…different. Astrid stared down at him, her back running with chills. Stoick also had chills run down his spine. Not because Ukiah was acting different, but the way he was acting; just like the warriors he faced against. Calm, reserved, deadly.

"Tell you what, Ukiah. I'll make sure your death will be swift. That's the least I can do for you, considering you survived when I killed your tribe!" Strogg roared, raising his axe and charging forwards "This is my gift to you!"

Ukiah quickly rolled to his right, dodging the massive strike from the axe. Springing up to his feet, he raised his crossbow and fired.

Strogg turned to face Ukiah, just in time to catch the arrow in his front left side. Staggered at the hit, he roared in anger as he caught himself from falling over.

Ukiah wasted no time. Sprinting, he lunged forward with is crossbow extended out. He felt the blade at the end of the crossbow catch something. Holding on, he finished his lunge by somersaulting onto his feet. Spinning around, he leaped backwards to put some distance between him and Strogg.

Grunting, Strogg looked down to see his leg was slashed. His eyes burning with a raging fire, he turned to face Ukiah, who had finished reloading his crossbow.

For the first time since he entered the arena, Ukiah put on small smirk, knowing he surprised Strogg with his agility. The Berk Vikings roared in approval, amazed that Ukiah landed two hits on Strogg.

"I guess I'll have to work for this one…" Strogg growled. Reaching for the bolt stuck in his vest, he tried to pull it out. Though his thick vest stopped the arrow, the tip of the arrowhead still made some contact with him. Feeling that he wasn't going to pull it out, he quickly forgot about it as Ukiah raised his crossbow and fired a second time. Shifting to the right, the bolt caught his left forearm.

Feeling the sting in his arm, he let out a blood curling war cry and charged Ukiah like a bull that was stampeding. Shocked at the speed of the charge, Ukiah only had enough time to spring to the left. While airborne, he felt a force collide into his stomach, launching him backwards. Strogg knew he was going to dive away, and used the butt end of the axe to catch him in the middle of his dodge attempt; sending him sailing into the stone wall of the arena.

The Berk crowd gasped, which was overwhelmed as the Thariin side erupted into cheering as Ukiah slammed into the wall. His breath knocked out of him, he didn't even try to look for Strogg, who was roaring at the top of his lungs. Focusing on planting his feet on the ground, he then propelled himself along the wall and away from where he landed. He could hear a loud crack behind him as he blindly flew forward. Crashing onto the ground, he turned to see Strogg pulling his axe out of the stone ground. He sunk the edge up to three inches in the rock that made up the floor, right where he landed.

Not saying anything, he just stood up and quickly reloaded his crossbow. Strogg went relentless on Ukiah, not giving him any chance to take aim. Rushing him, he swung this way and that. Up and down, diagonal and side to side! Each stroke pushing Ukiah back and getting closer with ever swing. "Just die! You're only slowing your fate!" Strogg yelled in a pain filled fury.

"Falling to you is not my fate!" Ukiah roared back, taking an extra-long jump backwards. Raising the crossbow, he fired the bolt, unable to really aim it. Strogg felt the bolt graze his bicep, which he answered by increasing swipes and slashes with his axe. Gritting his teeth, Ukiah timed himself with the slashes. Time slowed down, as he watched the axe cut the air in front of him. His feet acting like springboards, he lunged forward, extending the crossbow out. Time resumed as he plowed the short blade in front of his crossbow, right into Strogg's vest.

"Gaaaagghh!" Strogg roared in pain, feeling the blade pierce his vest and plunge itself into his stomach. "Play time's over, brat!" He screamed in a fury. The towering giant shot his free hand out and grabbed Ukiah's crossbow, breaking the blade off and leaving it sticking out of him.

Ukiah instantly pulled back, trying to free his weapon from the unbelievably strong grasp. Seeing that he wasn't going to let go, Ukiah watched as Strogg raised his axe above him. The hatred in his eyes burned like two torches in a black, eternal pit. Then something came over him. Letting go of the crossbow, he then somersaulted right past Strogg, getting behind him and dodging the axe that would have cleaved his head right off. Whirling onto his feet, he drew his dagger and went into a defensive stance. Then to his horror, watched Strogg drop his crossbow and proceeded to smash it with his axe.

Astrid watched with an almost killing anxiety. Ukiah's primary weapon was gone! His strongest tool to drop the giant Viking, was destroyed. Her face went a shade whiter, not sure what the future would bring.

Strogg looked up from the crossbow he violently destroyed. His face grew darker as his blood pumped through his body, nulling any pain he felt. The blade in his side was more of an annoyance than a hindrance. Without warning, he let out another blood curling cry, charging Ukiah with blinding speed.

Ukiah side jumped as the axe crashed down where he was standing. The axe then swung violently to the side, the flat side acting like a fast moving wall. There was no way for him to dodge it, which he took directly to the front. Wham! The force of the strike seemed to paralyze him! Flying backwards, he felt like he was flying again, right until his feet hit the ground. End over end, he rolled into the center of the arena, while bolts from his quiver spilled out onto the ground. Both sides were in a frenzy. The Berk side roaring in shock and encouragement, while the Thariin side erupted into a cheer for victory! They knew it was only a matter of time before Strogg's axe would cut through Ukiah.

Ukiah struggled to get up, his breath short and his head being dizzy. Another hit like that was sure to keep him down. Still gasping for breath, he looked up to see Strogg charging him; this time with his axe lowered at his side. Ukiah could see what he was doing. Looking through his blurring vision, he waited just moments before Strogg heaved the axe in an upward slash. Rolling to his side as the axe was coming up, he felt it barely catch his side, sending rolling a second time. Though the chainmail stopped most of the axe's edge from cutting him any deeper, but the links were broken, rendering the chainmail useless. Wiping his hand where he was hit, he found his hand covered in blood.

Getting his composure, he saw Strogg barreling at him a second time. Gritting his teeth, he lunged himself at Strogg, throwing the giant's timing off as he brought the axe down. Ukiah tackled his feet, causing him to cry out in pain as Ukiah purposely gripped where he slashed his leg. Falling forward on the ground, Strogg rolled to his side. Pulling one of his feet free from Ukiah's wrapped arms, he visciously kicked him in the nose.

A loud crunching sound echoed in the arena, causing the Berk side gasp. Ukiah stumbled away from the kick. Holding his nose, he felt a warm liquid run over his hand. Just by barely touching it, he knew it was broken. "Gahh…" He groaned, shaking his head gently to try and get used to the pain. Through his tearing eyes, he looked up to see Strogg working on the bolt that was sticking out of his forearm. Having his axe set down, he gripped the shaft of the bolt. Breathing heavily, he pulled it out with one grunt. The arrow came out, but so did pieces of his arm. "Aggghhh!" He cried out, his arm visibly flinching due to the trauma to it. Looking at the barbed arrowhead, he then glared at Ukiah, yelling "Damn you! Damn your tribe! Damn Stoick and his pathetic excuse of a son! To Niflheim with all of you!"

Visibly relaxing, Ukiah tried to stand up straight, shouting "Listen to me Strogg. Neither of us has to die today. If you turn and walk out of the arena and give Hiccup back, I'll forget everything you did to me. Including killing my tribe and parents!" He knew what the answer would be, but he held onto a sliver of hope that Strogg would see sense over his pride.

"Hah! If you're asking me to forget what I started, think again! I don't give up what I start!" Strogg growled painfully, looking down at his bleeding leg. A large slash ran horizontally across his shin. Not only was the bone hurting, but a lasting stinging feeling continued to linger. The pain of the blade sticking out was also starting to grow. Blood was dripping from the broken, jagged edge that protruded out of the vest. If it was any other Viking, he would have fallen long ago! But the sheer size and strength of Strogg seemed to double his endurance, not to mention when he raged.

Shaking his head, Ukiah glanced up to see Astrid and Stoick looking at him with anxious faces. Seeing Astrid grip her axe with white knuckles, a thought came to him. One that made him sure that he knew how he was going to beat him. Turning to face Strogg, he whispered loud enough for him to hear "Then I guess we finish it. Whatever happens, this is good-bye. I hope the Gods will be merciful to you…Strogg the Murderer."

Strogg roared a mighty war cry. Raising his axe over his head, he charged Ukiah. Swinging his axe down, he planned on Ukiah rolling at him, as he did a few times before. Instead, Ukiah stutter stepped, and then slid to the left. The stutter step made Strogg hesitate, swinging his axe at a slower speed and exposing him longer. Ukiah, gripping the blackened dagger as if his life was the very object, drove it into the Strogg's thigh. Spinning to get a little extra distance between him and Strogg, he held his dagger up in front of him as if he was going to strike at any moment. Strogg was like Astrid, in that she was very aggressive in attacking. The best way he could counter the onslaught, was to be more aggressive himself!

Strogg hobbled at the sudden strike. Turning around, he was surprised to see Ukiah leaping in the air towards him. Out of reaction, Strogg swung his massive right arm across, hitting Ukiah out of the air. Though he knocked the hunter away, he let Ukiah drag his dagger across his arm as he flew backwards.

Ukiah rolled on the ground, though he sprung to his feet. He felt invigorated; something was empowering him! Ignoring the blood on his face, and the little bit coming from his side, he glanced down and saw one of his bolts that spilled out earlier. Grabbing it with his free hand, he charged Strogg a third time!

Ready for him, Strogg's eyes narrowed as he winded up his axe. Letting Ukiah get closer, he swung his axe as he was sure he'd cut him in half. Ukiah planted his right foot and pushed himself left, right as he was supposed cross the axe's path. Again, seeing Strogg open for a strike, he planted his left foot and pushed himself up. With the bolt in his left hand, he rammed it up his side, right under the vest.

The crowd erupted into a frenzy! Seeing where Ukiah stabbed him.

"Yes, Ukiah! Go!" Stoick shouted, watching in earnest "Keep hitting him!"

Astrid kept gripping her axe, watching Ukiah beat the behemoth with his sheer speed and agility! "Come on, Ukiah! You're almost done!" She whispered excitedly.

"Aaauuuggghhh!" Strogg shouted, coupling over. His eyes dilated wildly as the pain of the bolt riveted through his body. He was fading, and needed to do something to keep Ukiah down. Not really seeing him, he instinctively dropped his axe and reached for him. He felt himself grab his shoulder, which promptly gripped.

Ukiah, jerked back to get away. Unable to free himself, he simply drove the dagger into the arm that held him. To his shock and horror, it didn't make Strogg let go. His face red with anger, Strogg then grabbed Ukiah's other shoulder with his other hand, holding him in place. Blinded by pain and rage, he simply slammed his head down onto Ukiah's.

Crack! Ukiah reeled back, Strogg letting his grip release. With his head ringing with pain, he instantly felt dizzy and dropped the dagger in his hand. Stumbling backwards, he fell flat on his back. The noise of the crowd was blurred and blended, adding the confusion that was setting in. Closing his eyes, he tried to deal with the lightning like pain that pounded his head. Trying to focus on moving, he was stopped as he felt a weight push down on his chest. Looking up through his blackening vision, stared helplessly as Strogg placed his foot on Ukiah. He held his axe high above him, ready to execute Ukiah. His face had blood all over, adding to the insane and pain filled expression. His mouth was mixed with blood and foam, his eyes were wide and bloodshot.

"Ukiah!" Astrid screamed, seeing that he was about to be killed.

Hiccup was fighting the ropes that held him, also screaming into his gag.

Stoick didn't say anything. He couldn't. He was about to lose the one he swore to protect, a youth of his tribe, and ultimately his son.

"I'll leave my axe in you to send a message to everyone here in Berk…" Strogg growled painfully, glaring at the struggling hunter. He pressed his boot down harder, cracking sounds emitting from Ukiah's ribs.

"Gah!" He hacked out. Looking up at Strogg, he felt his hand rub against something. A shaft of one of his bolts! Grabbing it, he then used what energy he had left and rammed it into the leg that stood on him.

"Gaaggggh! No!" Strogg roared, taking a step back and off of Ukiah.

Ukiah didn't stop there. Even with his vision blurring, he pulled out the arrow, letting the barbed arrowhead do as much damage as it could. He reached and rammed it a second time into his leg, pulling back just as fast.

The pain was too much for Strogg. Dropping the axe, he fell forward onto both knees and one hand. His free hand he used to grasp where the blade was sticking out of his stomach, it now dripping with more blood.

Ukiah rolled to his side, trying his hardest to not black out. Breathing for only a moment, he then slowly stumbled to his feet. His head still ached, but his vision was ever so slightly returning. Turning and seeing Strogg on his knees and taking shallow breaths, he then stumbled to where his dagger lay. The crowd was eerily quiet, having witnessed one of the most incredible comebacks they've seen. Strogg…was essentially defeated!

Breathing deeply, Ukiah gripped his dagger while staring at Strogg. Then, limping towards Strogg, he raised the dagger high in the air. Just about to bring it down into Strogg's neck, a thunderbolt smashed into his chest.

Gasping, Ukiah stared into nothing for a moment. It was hard for him to breathe; in fact it was almost impossible for him to draw a simple breath! Looking down, he saw the crossbow's blade sticking out of the center of his chest, with Strogg's hand holding the end of it. He dropped his dagger as his breath continued to shorten. His ability to stay balanced was lessening, as he felt himself stumble over nothing.

"Heheheh…you lose, Crevite." Strogg laughed painfully, his bloodied hand releasing the blade he gripped. Strogg had actually pulled the blade out, and rammed it into Ukiah's chest; piercing the black, destroyed chainmail.

Ukiah just stood there, his arms spread open. He couldn't hear the shouting, he wasn't really seeing anything, and he couldn't feel anything; other than a cold wave that rushed through out his body. Dropping to his knees, he could barely make out Strogg's laugh. Trying to focus on the blurred individual, he then made out the the words "You failed Ukiah. You'll die knowing you failed your friends! Heheheheh…"

Loosely staring at Strogg, Ukiah tried to shake his head, barely whispering a few broken words: "No-n-ot...t-t-t-a…y-yo-u..." With what energy that hadn't rushed out of him, he reached up, grabbing Strogg by his hair, and pulled down.

Barely even able to kneel on his own, Strogg fell to the ground, unable to get back up.

Not listening to anything or anyone, Ukiah focused primarily to stand again. He legs felt like solid rocks, weighed down with something immensely heavy. He was unable to see anything, other than some short flashes of few memories he had the last month and few days. Hiccup, Astrid, Stoick, Gobber, and Arrow came in and out of view. Feeling himself unable to breath anymore, he could feel his feet stand on flat ground. Not looking at anyone specifically, he then shouted as loud as he could with his last burst of air from his lungs "I…w-w-iiiin!"

His body couldn't stay up any more. Collapsing onto his back, He just stared into the infinite blue sky.

Astrid already bolted into the arena, jumping between the metal bars. She wasn't the only one. Vikings followed closely by, as did a few soldiers from the other side; sprinting to their fallen chief.

Ignoring them, she slid on her knees to Ukiah. Looking at him in horror, she stared at where the blood had mixed itself with the black warpaint. His eyes were closed, and he was whispering something. Putting her ear next to his mouth, she could barely make out the words "Arr…ow…s-s-s-sorry…"

Not saying anything, Astrid fought the tears growing in her eyes. In a last attempt to comfort him, she gripped his blooded, open hand; put her mouth next to his ear, and whispered "Thank you, Ukiah…"

The smallest hint of a smile cracked on the corners of his mouth, only to disappear immediately after. Vikings rushed him, pushing her away. They immediately began to try and save him. Watching them crowd around the fallen fighter, Astrid turned away to see his dagger lying next to her. Picking it up, she saw that the wolf's head was cracked, and the gem eyes missing, as if telling her his fate.


	23. Chapter 23

_**Chapter Twenty Three**_

The sky over Berk was grey and bleak; perfectly portraying the general feeling in the air. Astrid stood on the edge of a cliff, overlooking the docks below. At the beach, Fishlegs, the Twins, and Snotlout were taking care of the wrecked Thariin ships; under the instruction of Gobber. In the distance were a few of their own ships burning away, carrying those that fell in battle to Valhalla. Letting out a heavy sigh, she looked down and saw a single ship being prepared for a similar fate. It was Ukiah's. The sail was a plain white with a large black diagonal stripe across it. Just like his war paint.

Astrid shook her head at the thought of him. Technically, he hadn't died yet. But after pulling him out of the arena two days ago, Gothi said that the chances of him recovering would be the same as it snowing in the middle of summer. Though to Astrid, she clung to the hope that he'd pull through. Besides, he's a Crevite! He's shown time and time again of doing the impossible.

Lost in her thoughts, she then felt Stormfly gently rub against her. Turning she smiled weakly at her dragon. "I think I'm alright girl. We went through a lot the last few days, huh?"

Stormfly softly squawked, trying to comfort her rider.

Lightly laughing, she scratched Stormfly's massive head and said "Come on, let's go help the others clear up some of that debris…"

Stormfly softly growled, following Astrid down the ramp. She knew Astrid didn't feel like flying, and wasn't going to push it. At least, not right then.

Fortunately, not that they had any choice, the Thariin soldiers released Hiccup after the duel, and promptly left that day with their fallen chief. The thought of Strogg being no more, brought a huge relief to her. Visibly relaxing that he was gone forever, she lazily shouldered her axe. Then the thought came back. The one that's been haunting her since the Thariin fleet left. What was it for? All that fighting, all that death, and what did they gain? They defied the most powerful tribe, defeating their ruler and chieftain, all in order to protect someone they called a friend; who, in the end, sacrificed himself for Hiccup, herself, and his dragon, Arrow. Not to mention the entire island of Berk.

Shaking her head vividly, she silently rebuked herself. "He wasn't dead! Not yet at least. He hadn't sacrificed himself yet! Shutting her eyes in frustration, she then heard a familiar voice call out her name. "Astrid! Astrid! Come quick!"

Looking up, she was surprised to see Hiccup and Toothless running towards her. A look of sheer joy was plastered on both their faces, making her slightly gasp at the potential news. Though she didn't want to get her hopes up, for some reason she knew exactly what it was about. "What?! What is it?" She cried out.

"It's Ukiah! He's waking up!" He shouted, stopping in front of her.

Astrid gaped at him, not believing what he was saying.

"Come on! He was stirring when we ran to get you!" He continued to shout, pulling her along and running back to his house; where they were keeping Ukiah.

Astrid didn't need to be told. She was already sprinting with Hiccup. "When? When?!" She shouted, turning to Hiccup with a wide smile "Is he that much better?!"

Hiccup frowned a little, saying "Gothi says that he's still not…safe, but the fact that he's able to wake up is a good sign!"

Smiling from ear to ear, she followed Hiccup as they arrived at his door. Throwing it open, it revealed Gothi at the cooking pot, stirring something; and Stoick standing over Ukiah's bed, looking down at him. And then Arrow, who was at the end of his bed and staring intently at his rider. Since they took Ukiah in, Arrow refused to leave his bedside. As soon as Hiccup and Astrid stepped inside, Arrow greeted the two by smiling at them, with a small amount of sand drizzling from the corners of his mouth. Astrid laughed quietly, gently petting the happy Sand Wraith. Standing on the opposite side of Stoick, the two looked down at their friend.

Ukiah, to be put lightly, looked like he was indeed pulled out of the grave. Even compared to when he first woke up on their ship. His black hair was taken out of its braid, being a mangled mess. He also had dried blood flakes covering one side of his head. His face was swollen, and his nose crooked from being kicked there. His upper body was wrapped in bandages, stained with some blood from when he was slashed in the side. The center of his chest had a massive cloth placed over it, covering where the he had taken the blade. They were held by separate wrappings that went up and over his shoulder. He looked like he should be dead. The only sign of life was his chest moving up and down very shallowly, and his eyes were half opened.

"Heh…guess I'm…a-agghh…live…" Ukiah whispered hoarsely, putting as much energy as he could into the sentence. He seemed to sink deeper into the pillow that was placed behind him, making Astrid flash with worry.

"Take it easy, Ukiah." Stoick counseled, resting his hand on the corner of the bed "It's a miracle you're even able to wake up…"

"I…hate…sleep-ping in…" He jested, equally quiet and letting the crack of a smile at the corners of his face.

"Shut up Ukiah." Astrid said aloud, shaking her head at him with a relieved smile "I'm going to knock your arm off when you get better!" Seeing him crack the small smile though, caused her to visibly relax.

"Heh…I'd rath-ther…" Ukiah began to say, only to be interrupted.

"Enough, Ukiah." Stoick ordered "Save your energy. Gothi say's you still have a chance of not making it."

"No…I'll…make it…" Ukiah whispered, his half open eyes closing "My…par-parents t-told me I-I-I would…"

Everyone in the room went silent. Staring down at Ukiah, they listened to him say. "The-ey…said…they were p-p-rou-d. I di…dn't want…to come b-b-back…but, they t-t-told me to…" A tear dripped out of the corner of one eye, which he quietly said "I he-heard their…voi-voices…"

"Rest, Ukiah. You can tell us all about it when you have more energy." Stoick said aloud, gently resting his arm on Ukiah's shoulder. Looking over at Hiccup, he then said "Son, can I borrow you and Toothless? It seems we have a ship that doesn't need to be prepared anymore."

"Sure, I can help." Hiccup replied, a little bummed that he couldn't stay with Ukiah. Facing his friend, he then said "For what it's worth, thanks Ukiah. You're the reason I'm not on a ship to Thariin."

Ukiah just smiled weakly, nodding his head barely.

At that, Hiccup, Toothless, and Stoick walked out of the house; leaving Gothi still stirring the pot, and Astrid next to Ukiah. Arrow then snuck next to Ukiah, gently nuzzling his arm.

"He..ey…friend…"Ukiah whispered, feeling Arrow. Unable to lift his arm, he simply whispered words of comfort "Gla…ad you're…doi…ng good…"

Astrid, at this point, gently reached down and gripped his hand. She thought for sure she'd never be able to do that again.

Ukiah's eyes fluttered open. Looking up at Astrid, he just had a confused expression on his face.

"Thank you, Ukiah." She whispered, blushing a little bit "I was…really worried about you."

A small smile began to grow on his face, realizing what she was saying. His face seemed to do the talking for him.

Her face turning into a glowing red, she glanced over to make sure Gothi wasn't listening. Seeing that she wasn't, she turned back to him and explained "Since I saw you at your little trading post, I coul-. I felt-. I uh…" She stammered, unsure of how to say what she was thinking. Growling at herself angrily, she finally blurted out "I liked you from when I first saw you."

Ukiah's eyes lit up with shock. Staring at her, he couldn't even say what he wanted to; even if he was completely whole, he didn't think he could say what he wanted to!

"I saw what kind of a person you are." She said, looking away from his shocked eyes "You're just like Hiccup, and it's not that I don't like him, it's just…I don't know…"

"As…trid. You…don…t have to…explain…" He whispered with broken words, the corners of his mouth growing into a relaxed smile. "Th…ank…yo...u."

Smiling, she simply pulled a chair closer to his bed and sat down. Keeping his hand gripped in hers, she continued to watch him as he let his eyes close again, letting him fall asleep. Seeing him relax, she whispered "You know Ukiah, I never told you myself. Welcome to Berk. Welcome home."

* * *

 **Well, I hope you enjoyed it. By the amount of reviews, follows, and favorites; I'm guessing not very many did.** **Any who, thanks to those who did follow and favorite, I hope it was a good read.**

 **So, what could I have done different? What did you not like about the story? Was it because it wasn't an AU or a gender swap? No magical powers? Or just not interesting to begin with? PM me or review, it seriously helps me so I don't post stories like this.**


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